travel

Red Brick Reunion Porsche Show in Oxford, Ohio

Red Brick Reunion Porsche Show in Oxford, Ohio!  There’s something about a classic car that makes my heart flutter. Don’t ask me why. Perhaps it’s because I’ve been told I possess an “old” soul. Or perhaps it’s because I’m a hopeful romantic. Whatever the reason, I gazed upon this olive green 1950s Porsche Speedster, with its top slicked back, like it was unrequited love. Its muscled body, atop the red brick surface of High Street, alluded to the mental apprehension of power beneath the hood. The live band captivated the crowd playing familiar tunes from the wisteria-covered stage in Oxford’s Memorial Park. What an unexpected pleasure! The next time you come across a car show, take a few minutes to stroll hand-in-hand with someone special. You never know if you’ll run into a good-looking old flame. 

Dining Outside the Home: Carpenter Creek Cellars in Remington, Indiana

Dining Outside the Home: Carpenter Creek Cellars in Remington, Indiana! Carpenter Creek Cellars’ Music Fest is where you find children frolicking on the lawn, against a backdrop of adults sipping Strawberry Wine, guitar music filling the air, and the aromas of BBQ pork smoking on the grill. Life stands still against the rambling brook running along the fence-rowed vineyard in Jasper County, Indiana. 

Dining Outside the Home: Farmhouse Restaurant in Fair Oaks, Indiana

Dining Outside the Home: Farmhouse Restaurant in Fair Oaks, Indiana! Experience a culinary adventure that’s straight off the farm. With ingredients that are raised, produced, and harvested locally, freshness is key. From the moment you are seated, all who gather round the table notice hospitality that knows no bounds. One munch of all-natural cornbread from the bread basket can test willpower that sends self-control reeling. And that’s just the beginning. Portions are generous, so be warned. Whether you choose mile-high sandwiches or hand cut ribeyes, no one walks away hungry or disappointed. And the desserts are phenomenal, I’m told. I wouldn’t know. Honestly, I surrendered to the texture and aroma of the cornbread. 

Dining Outside the Home: Lorena’s Mexican Restaurant Bar & Grill in East Peoria, Illinois

Dining Outside the Home: Lorena’s Mexican Restaurant Bar & Grill in East Peoria, Illinois! Whenever my husband and I travel, we tend to gravitate to places that serve authentic Mexican food, recommended by locals. On a day when the outside temperature was as stifling as the Chihuahuan Desert, nothing sounded better than an ice cold margarita on the rocks. As we slid into a booth at Lorena’s, the air conditioner struggled to keep up. No worries. A smiling waiter offered salsa picante that matched the heat with hot sauce and chilies. One bite, one sip, and our minds were flowing with the mariachi music. “Fiesta Fajitas for Two, por favor.” Moments later, a sizzling platter overflowing with tender meat and roasted vegetables arrived satiating the appetite. Gracias, amigo!

Dining Outside the Home: Sevens Restaurant and Steakhouse in Clear Lake, Iowa!

Dining Outside the Home: Sevens Restaurant and Steakhouse in Clear Lake, Iowa! In a town that became famous over a tragic event—a plane crash that claimed the lives of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and JP “The Big Bopper” Richardson in 1959—everyone pulled themselves up by the bootstraps and dedicated a monument to these great musicians. Still known as the town where “The Day the Music Died”, Main Street has been revitalized and cultivated as a hub for tourism, art, and music transforming it into an appealing and popular vacation destination. Sevens Restaurant and Steakhouse is a full menu eatery that offers one more reason to stop by. A few steps from one of the biggest lakes in northern Iowa, Sevens makes summer-at-the-lake a memorable and delicious experience. 

Dining Outside the Home: Cazador Mexican Restaurant in Ankeny, Iowa!

Dining Outside the Home: Cazador Mexican Restaurant in Ankeny, Iowa! Where do you go when the outside temp is rising to 100° with a heat index even higher? You head straight to a Mexican cantina where the margaritas are golden and the hospitality is family-friendly. In a place where there is standing room only, the staff bustles to and fro keeping the cafe-style corn chips and spicy rich salsa spot on until the main course arrives. It may be located in middle America, but the menu is authentic south-of the-border when it comes to authentic Mexican food. And we should know. We’ve stopped here faithfully on our trips up north for the past five years. Cazador rates an all-star rating, in my opinion. 

Dining Outside the Home: Dos Reales Mexican Restaurant in Champagne, Illinois

Dining Outside the Home: Dos Reales Mexican Restaurant in Champagne, Illinois! Whether you choose to dine al fresco on the rustic patio or slide into a comfortable booth next to the cantina, the margaritas deliver a tasty tequila cocktail in a frosted salt-rimmed glass. And that’s just the beginning. Alternate between the chunky tomato salsa and the classic chili hot sauce as you crunch on tortilla chips before the main course arrives. The extensive menu selections leave your head spinning from corn-wrapped tamales, cheesy chile rellenos, and grilled steak fajitas to spicy pork carnitas. But the menu doesn’t stop there. No worries. The waiter, Pedro, is patient beyond measure. He’ll explain the specials of the house and walk you through a tour of Mexico that invites you back again…and again. Muchas Gracias!