Mighty friendly folks here in Blanco!

Texas is big. I know, surprise, surprise. You can drive for hours and never leave the state. So where can you go for a quick weekend get away? A place that takes both no time at all to get to, but gets you away from the daily grind? There are many places in and around San Antonio, Austin and Houston that both natives and visitors can get to with relative ease. Blanco, Texas is one such town. Nestled in the heart of the Texas Hill Country, this quant little town boasts quite a lot of history, beautiful landscape and fun things to do. Rivers, hills and lots of antique shopping. Plenty for everyone. For those who also partake in the pleasures of a American craft beer, Blanco is also home to the Real Ale Brewing Company.

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Ben Spies taking a practice lap at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

My husband and I had the fantastically fun opportunity to catch the MotoGP festivities at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis last weekend. Friday’s practice sessions lead to Saturday’s qualifying runs, which lead to Sunday’s races. Three classes comprising of 125cc, Moto2, and MotoGP bikes ensured for very full days of soaking up the sun, admiring the roar of the bikes and the skills of the riders, and ingesting copious amounts of track food and pricey beers (though you are allowed to bring in coolers with your own food and beverages).

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Chicago Jazz Festival in Grant Park

Chicago enjoys a long association with jazz, blues and gospel music and one of the Windy City’s premier events is the annual Chicago Jazz Festival on Labor Day weekend.  Originally started as a tribute to Duke Ellington shortly after his death in 1974, the festival has grown to the city’s longest running lakefront music festivals.  Attracting thousands of fans from all over the world, the Chicago Jazz Festival has expanded into the world’s most extensive free jazz festival. Read More »

Food vendors at the Bank of the Nile pavilion at the African Festival of the Arts

Labor Day represents the traditional closing down of summer fun and preparation for back to school and work but for my family, Labor Day is one of the most festive weekends  of the year. We look forward to the four-day extravaganza of the African Festival of the Arts, held every year in Washington Park on Labor Day weekend.   The sights, sounds and flavors of Africa are transported to Chicago with live  African music, food, fashions, films, dance, art and everything else that you can think of. Read More »