Travelogger

We wander for distraction, but we travel for fulfillment.

In Search Of Vino

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It’s the start of autumn, and the days are starting to get shorter and colder. The trees are ready to shed their leaves, gifting us with a brilliant display of colors before they part. Best of all, Fall is the season of harvest, and food and wine harvest festivals are sprouting up all over the northern hemisphere. If you’re a food and wine connoisseur, or, like me, just an ordinary human who lives to eat and drink, this season holds a lot of great travel opportunities for you.

Fall is usually the start of wine harvests in the U.S. and in Europe. I don’t know about you, but one of my to-do lists is to experience an actual grape harvesting. This little romantic dream of mine I can definitely attribute to that scene in a Keanu Reeves movie “A Walk In The Clouds”. You know the scene where the harvesters are fanning the vines with their “wings”? I was much younger then, but that scene, and several others, set the tone of the ultimate seduction plot for me. Think wine, music and bacchanalia. (For a quick history lesson, Bacchus, also known as Dionysius, is the Greek God of wine and the patron of agriculture). Or, if you just want to have fun, just imagine stomping grapes with your feet!

I’m not sure if they still allow that, but regardless, a wine and food harvest festival still holds a lot of things to look forward to. These festivals usually feature wine tasting seminars, cooking classes and demonstrations, live music, and the chance to buy the freshest and best produce. Best of all, you won’t have to go far to experience one. There’s California’s Napa and Sonoma Valleys; the state holds the distinction of being the fourth largest wine producer in the world. Or, tour any of the 50 states, such as New York, Washington, New Jersey, and Oregon, which also boasts of excellent vineyards. Of course, if you get the chance, go ahead and visit Austria, France, Italy, Germany or Switzerland, to have the full European experience. Just remember one tip for wine-tasting: Smell, sip and taste, but don’t swallow the wine! Unless you’re planning to get drunk, then that’s another story!

Teaching Kids To Try New Tastes, Part 2

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As promised in my last post, here’s the rest of the tips to encourage your kids to try new dishes:

  • Let the kids eat from your plate – The best endorser is still mom and dad. If they see you’re enjoying yourself, chances are they’ll be encouraged to try it out too. Since kids don’t eat as much as adults, see if the restaurant is open to shared dishes. This way, there won’t be any wastage the kids don’t like the dish they have. And if your little tyke gets an appetite, you can always order more.
  • Do the 3 bites rule – My daughter and I have a deal. She has to take at least 3 bites from the new food. This is because it usually takes more than 2 bites for a person to get acquainted with a new taste. If, after 3 bites, she finds that she really doesn’t like it, then we don’t force her. But usually, she finds out that she likes the new taste once she gets past the newness of the dish.
  • Let your kids choose – another way to encourage my daughter is giving her the “power” to choose what she wants. We go over the menu with her, and explain what the ingredients are and how it tastes like. Of course, you’ll need to have a particularly patient waiter to help you with the menu, so be sure to tip them well!
  • Bring safety food – Sure, you’d like your kids to try the whole experience with you. But sometimes, it may not be possible, like if all the dishes on the menu are too spicy or too exotic. So to play safe, and to minimize frustration and melt-downs, bring or pack food your kids will eat. This way, they won’t feel threatened or pressured about trying out a new restaurant. They know they’ll have something to fall back on. But they can still try mommy’s food, who knows, they might end up liking it better!
  • Give in once in a while – Remember, the point is for the whole family to have fun, and to remember the vacation as an enjoyable trip. Let the kids have their fastfood once in a while. You’d probably even end up pleasantly surprised, since most international food chains (like the one with the Golden Arches), try to include bestselling local dishes to their menus as well. And the kids will probably be more amenable to trying it out if the food is from some restaurant they’re familiar with.

Whatever your own little tricks may be, always remember the primary concern should always be your family’s safety. Be sure to eat only safe food and drink safe water. And try to make the whole experience as something your whole family will enjoy reminiscing over. Till next time!

Teaching Kids To Try New Tastes, Part 2

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As promised in my last post, here’s the rest of the tips to encourage your kids to try new dishes:

  • Let the kids eat from your plate – The best endorser is still mom and dad.  If they see you’re enjoying yourself, chances are they’ll be encouraged to try it out too.  Since kids don’t eat as much as adults, see if the restaurant is open to shared dishes.  This way, there won’t be any wastage the kids don’t like the dish they have.  And if your little tyke gets an appetite, you can always order more.
  • Do the 3 bites rule – My daughter and I have a deal.  She has to take at least 3 bites from the new food.  This is because it usually takes more than 2 bites for a person to get acquainted with a new taste.  If, after 3 bites, she finds that she really doesn’t like it, then we don’t force her.  But usually, she finds out that she likes the new taste once she gets past the newness of the dish.
  • Let your kids choose – another way to encourage my daughter is giving her the “power” to choose what she wants.  We go over the menu with her, and explain what the ingredients are and how it tastes like.  Of course, you’ll need to have a particularly patient waiter to help you with the menu, so be sure to tip them well!
  • Bring safety food – Sure, you’d like your kids to try the whole experience with you.  But sometimes, it may not be possible, like if all the dishes on the menu are too spicy or too exotic.  So to play safe, and to minimize frustration and melt-downs, bring or pack food your kids will eat.  This way, they won’t feel threatened or pressured about trying out a new restaurant.  They know they’ll have something to fall back on.  But they can still try mommy’s food, who knows, they might end up liking it better!
  • Give in once in a while – Remember, the point is for the whole family to have fun, and to remember the vacation as an enjoyable trip.  Let the kids have their fastfood once in a while.  You’d probably even end up pleasantly surprised, since most international food chains (like the one with the Golden Arches), try to include bestselling local dishes to their menus as well.  And the kids will probably be more amenable to trying it out if the food is from some restaurant they’re familiar with.

Whatever your own little tricks may be, always remember the primary concern should always be your family’s safety.  Be sure to eat only safe food and drink safe water.  And try to make the whole experience as something your whole family will enjoy reminiscing over.  Till next time!

Teaching Kids To Try New Tastes, Part 1

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Some of my fondest memories of travel are associated with food.  During the B.C. (Before Children ) years, we used to choose a destination in part because of the local cuisine.  Unfortunately, our kids have yet to develop the sophisticated and adventurous taste buds their parents have.  It’s not really a problem if we’re going somewhere where pizzas and hamburgers are also the norm.  But it becomes more complicated when you find yourself asking for a translation when you’re reading the menu.  My daughters, like most kids, are understandably wary about new tastes.  So you can say we were forced by circumstances to be more creative about persuading the kids to try unfamiliar foods.   Allow me to share with you some of the tricks I picked up:

  • Introduce the type of food even before the trip – This is helpful for the customs as well.  What we do is, days or even weeks before the trip, we try to do “test-runs”.  We’d talk about the place, the places we would visit, the local customs and the local cuisine.  We would bring the kids to a restaurant serving the same kind of food so they can try it out.  With the world being so cosmopolitan now, I’m sure you’d find a restaurant specializing in that country’s cuisine.  If not, try searching the net for simple recipes you can follow at home.  This way, the kids will have an idea about what they’ll be eating, and they’ll find the experience less scary than usual.
  • Pick familiar-tasting foods – You’re eager to try out the specialties.  But don’t try to compete with Fear Factor.   Look for food that has ingredients your kids are familiar with.  For example, if you’re in SouthEast Asia try the satay.  It’s based from peanut butter, which I’m sure your kid has tried.  But ask the cook to make it sweet, and to hold off on the spices.  Restaurants usually will accommodate special requests, especially if you tell them it’s for the kids.  Or, if you’re in Japan, let the kids try teriyaki – beef or chicken in sweet sauce.  Leave the sushi for mom and dad, it’s safer that way, too.

Next post, I’ll continue the tips about teaching your kids to try new tastes.  Happy Eating!

A Real Chocolate-y Experience

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Tired of watching your kids watch T.V. all day?
Tired of the same parks and beaches and playgrounds?
Well, here’s an idea you might not have tried yet!
Send your kids to the factory!

Wait.
Hold that thought and allow me to finish!

The factory I’m talking about isn’t the place where your kids will have to wear boring uniforms and form unions with other kids. I’m talking about the Hershey’s Chocolate World. It’s a tour every chocolate-loving kid and grown-up will surely love.

 

Hullo, old friend!

There, you guys can learn the art of chocolate through a very yummy chocolate tasting spree that allows everyone to experience everything from creamy milk to dark choco. There’s also a really big 3D show that brings to life favorite Hershey characters with lots of surprises in between. In Hershey’s Factory Works, you and your kids can create your own cupcakes, your own sundaes and even a personalized Hershey’s bar wrapper! To make the trip even more memorable, there’s also a Hershey Trolley that departs from the Hershey’s Chocolate World main entrance rain or shine is driven by singing conductors in period costumes. In order to bring the fun back home with you, you can purchase souvenirs at the market place shops and stock up on your favorite Hershey products (chocolate, apparel, tin cans, etc.)

Hershey’s Chocolate World is located at Hershey’s, Pennsylvania.