Gettysburg, Pennsylvania: Your Next Foodie Adventure!

Posted on April 26, 2017 by Jamie

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post on behalf of Destination Gettysburg.

Gettysburg has a lot more going on than our country’s historical past.  As many families come to Gettysburg to honor our history, people are finding there’s so much more happening in Gettysburg than meets the eye.  And I’m here to LET YOU know about these GREAT adventures. For starters, it’s time to indulge in your inner foodie and begin planning your next FOODIE ADVENTURE in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania:

1. Take a FOOD Tour

Gettysburg, known as the biggest small town in the world, has some GREAT food tours out there.  Whether you get connected with Savor Gettysburg, where you are lead on a walking tour around Historic Gettysburg, and shown some of the best EATS this small town has to offer.  Partake in ONE of 5 Unique experiences they have available, explore Historic Downtown Gettysburg, or explore the Wine, Cider, and Food, or if Comfort food is more your thing, they have that too.  They also offer an amazing Farmer’s Market and Cooking Class Tour! And if you have an interest in Agri-Toursim, they offer a  Field to Fork Agritourism tour where you’ll go out to the farms of Gettysburg, harvest your own produce, and then turn your harvest into a bountiful meal! These 3 Hour Tours show an entirely different story of Gettysburg!

2. Go Wine Tasting or Cider Tasting or Visit a Distillery

gettysburg-a-taste-of-gettysburg-t

 

Gettysburg is truly making its mark in the wine, cider and distillery world and tons of wineries, cideries and distilleries are popping up all around Gettysburg.  Spend a day or two exploring these hidden gems throughout Adams County.

Some recommendations include:

Stop into Mason Dixon Distillery:

Mason-Dixon-Distillery

Producers of Small Batch Spirits from local whole grains. They even have a small kitchen inside where they serve meals, including Sunday Brunch!

Lunch, Dinner, Tours, Bottle sales
Wednesday-Saturday 11:30am to 9:30 pm
Brunch, Tours, Bottle Sales
Sunday 10am-2pm

Reid’s Winery: The Cider House:

While Downtown Gettysburg, be sure to swing into Reid’s Winery for a wine tasting, or a hard cider tasting, whatever it is you’re craving.  If you like what you’re tasting, take some time to visit Reid’s Winery at their Home Winery during your Gettysburg getaway!

And of course, there’s a lot more to explore while in town!

3. .Pick Some Apples or Sip on Some Hard Ciders

gettysburg-apple-country-usa

Pennsylvania was first introduced to Apple Trees by none other than Johnny Appleseed, but did you know, Adams County, home of Gettysburg, is the 4th Largest producer of Apples in the US?  Yep, that’s right.  So while in town, especially during late summer or fall, plan a day for some Orchard Picking.

Or, during the warmer months, enjoy those apples through some Hard Cider Tasting, as this area is becoming a huge producer of hard ciders, and you know, since it’s in Apple Country, they’re worth tasting.

4. Take in a Food Festival

This area loves its food especially its wine and apples! So of course, there’s 2 great festivals not to MISS when visiting Gettysburg.

The Gettysburg Wine & Music Festival takes place every September during harvest time!  A great time to celebrate the year’s bounty, and enjoy all the fine wines this area produces.

And of course, while in Apple Country, it would make sense to have an Apple Harvest Festival! This festival is held the first two weekends of every October.

While both of these festivals take place during the fall, there’s tons of summer festivals not to miss including a PA Cider Fest, Corn Fest, and Peach Fest that happen every summer in Gettysburg!

  1. Take in a Farmer’s Market

With farmers being so close to the heart of Downtown Gettysburg, one thing not to miss on your travels is stopping into a local farmer’s market to enjoy the bountiful fruit and vegetables offered.  NOTHING tastes better straight from the farm.

If you’re in town when a Farmer’s Market isn’t happening be sure to stop into McDannell Fruit Farm & Market to stock up on your favorites.  Did we say apples?

And while you’re not indulging in your taste buds while in Gettysburg, you can explore the small boutiques in Historic Downtown, or take in some of the history that Gettysburg has to offer.  It’s truly worth a Getaway this Spring or Summer!


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Take a California Road Trip This Summer with Hilton Hotels!

Posted on April 16, 2017 by Jamie

Warm temperatures have already begun in California.  The past few weeks have been in the 60’s and 70’s, truly the beginning of the summer season in California.  As travelers hit the road this summer in California, to not only explore the Golden State, but celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Summer of Love, Hilton Hotels is offering a GREAT deal with their “California Road Trip Package,” +a destination package that inspires thrill-seekers and value-minded explorers. Discover an array of adventures and authentic experiences with rates starting at $149 per night.

A loving couple, on a summer afternoon, watching sunset from the roof of an old car, around the classical landscape of Tuscany, vineyards and farmland. The two lovers come out from the car roof

A loving couple, on a summer afternoon, watching sunset from the roof of an old car, around the classical landscape of Tuscany, vineyards and farmland found in California.

 

The package will highlight premier destination cities such as San Francisco, Santa Barbara, Anaheim and San Diego with special rates available through Labor Day Weekend 2017. To book, visit California Road Trip Package  and take a Virtual California Road Trip on our YouTube channel.

The California Road Trip package features savings of more than $125 per night, with exclusive discount of up to 15 percent on Enterprise/Alamo and National Car Rentals, $25 food and beverage credit (available in MIX Restaurant only), complimentary high-speed Wi-Fi, unlimited access to the hotel’s Health Club & Spa and a California Road Trip Road Kit featuring exclusive discounts on local entertainment and attractions. Room rates start at $149 per night, tax not included.

Hotel Properties included in Hilton’s California Road Trip Package include:

Parc 55 and Hilton San Francisco Union Square:

A Hilton Hotel and Hilton San Francisco Union Square package includes (Rates starting at $265):
•       The San Francisco CityPASS® program which covers unlimited cable car rides, admission to four top attractions, priced 42 percent less than the same tickets purchased separately.  CityPASS® ticket book contains helpful information, including insider tips, an attraction location map, attraction and transportation details, directions and money-saving coupons. Books are valid for nine consecutive days, beginning with the first day of use. Includes:
o       3-Day Muni Cable Car and Bus Passport
o       California Academy of Sciences tickets
o       Blue & Gold Fleet Bay Cruise Adventure tickets
o       Aquarium of the Bay tickets
o       Option Ticket: Exploratorium OR de Young Museum + Legion of Honor tickets

The Fess Parker: Santa Barbara:

A DoubleTree by Hilton Resort package includes (Rates starting at $249):
•       Tote bag, Visitors Guide, Vintners Association and Urban Wine Trail Maps, Downtown Organization Map of Shopping and Cultural Attractions, Waterfront Map, Two for One Santa Barbara Sightseeing Trolley Passes, a Santa Barbara Organic Granola Bar and bag of Santa Barbara Pistachio Co. organic pistachios.

Hilton Anaheim: Anaheim

Hilton-Anaheim

Hilton Anaheim package includes (Rates starting at $149):
•       Tote bag, bottled water, granola bars, $10 Starbucks gift card, Visit Anaheim drawstring bag, visitors guide and map, Visit Anaheim postcard with exclusive deals and discounts on local attractions and dining.

Hilton La Jolla and Hilton San Diego Bayfront:

Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines and Hilton San Diego Bayfront packages includes (Rates starting at $249):
•       Branded bag, San Diego Magazine Spring Visitors Guide w/ coupons, Where Map, Brewers Guild map, sunglasses and mints.

 

If you’re anything like me, vacation is calling, and this California Road Trip is exactly what I need, how about you?


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Spirits Made from Paso Robles Wine Grapes: RE:Find Distillery

Posted on March 27, 2017 by Jamie

Disclosure: I was invited out to RE:Find Distillery this past January.  This is about my experience, and what I learned along the way.

If you’ve been paying close attention around California the past few years, you may have noticed a huge boom in the Craft Distillery industry!  Craft Spirits have become huge in California, and in Paso Robles, it is no different. Paso Robles now has their own Distillery Trail and Passport for those with a love of Spirits, Whiskeys, Gins, Vodkas, and more! There are NOW over 10 Distilleries within the Paso Robles area, and they are continuing to grow.

Craft-Spirits

BUT, with that being said, one company RE:Find Distillery has been a bit ahead of the curve in Paso Robles, and were definitely one of the first in the area.  Believe it or not, it all started with wine. (Yep, wine, are you intrigued like me?) Alex and Monica Villicana began their start in Paso Robles by owning Villicana Winery in the Adelaida District of Paso Robles.  As winemakers are often thinking of sustainability, and reusing the resources they have at hand, Alex was challenged by the concept of Saignee, and how not to waste so much of it.

Alex-and-Monica-Villicana

Monica and Alex Villicana

Saignee, for those that may not know, is the juice from the red grapes that is bled off before fermentation.  A lot of winemakers will use this Saignee to place in their Rose’s, or it will be discarded.  This wasted product really bothered Alex, and he wanted to find a new way to place it into an one of a kind product. Not only has he found a way to reuse his own Saignee waste, but other wineries in the area have reached out to Alex and Monica, and they are now also putting their Saignee into their product.  Their spirits are CREATED by Paso Robles Wine Grapes.

So, they take this Saignee, from local Paso Robles Wine Grapes, ferment it, and then triple distill it to create wine-based Spirits, and that is how the name of RE:FIND was created. Finding a new use for grapes and refining it into spirits!

Lets Talk Spirits: What are they creating?

REFIND

Vodka: For the majority of their spirits, they use this vodka as their bases for creating the other spirits in their line.

Gin: For their Gin, they use the Vodka as the base, then place back in the still and then add, through a vapor pass, a proprietary blend of botanicals including juniper berry, coriander, orris root, lemon & orange peel, grains of paradise, and lavender to impart a rich gin flavor.

Limoncello: When I walked into their distillery, it smelled of Lemon everywhere to find out, two days prior, they had just ran through an entire batch of limoncello which they create by utilizing fresh fruit from local, area farmers. 

Cucumber Flavored Vodka: For those that love Cucumber water, now, you can enjoy that same clean flavor in this fun, summer spirit that will be released this July. 

Kumquat Flavored Brandy: And as they continue to try out new seasonal flavors, the real winner for them was Kumquat this past fall.  Alex and Monica have plans of planting Kumquat Trees throughout their land, and will continue to keep this fall favorite going. 

Barrel-Finished Vodka: They start with their premium vodka, and then finish aging it in a combination of new and used rye whiskey barrels giving it that barrel aged finish people love.

Rye Whiskey: And yes, for you die-hard Whiskey fans out there.  They have created a California Whiskey for you.  They’ve partnered with local, small, artisan breweries to create a custom mash bill for their Rye Whiskey. 

Bourbon:  Ready to be released any day now! Keep your eyes peeled for it.

Although, I don’t know a ton about spirits, I did get to try them, and I can say tasting through their offerings left a nice, clean finish in my mouth, and I found a new found love of Gin from their creation.  It might have something to do with wine grapes being the base though too.

Recommend:

If you’re not a huge spirits fan, I still recommend stopping into RE:Find Distillery to try something new off the tasting path in Paso Robles.  My recommendations to try include the Gin (SRP: $44.00), Limoncello (SRP $26.00), and the Kumquat Brandy (SRP $26.00).  I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Coming in the Future: Alex and Monica recently purchased the historic Fox Theater in Downtown Paso Robles, and this will be the FUTURE home of RE:Find Distillery Tasting Room in Downtown Paso Robles.  An exciting project up ahead!

Plan Your Visit:

REFIND-Distillery

RE:FIND Distillery

2725 Adelaida Road, Paso Robles, CA 93446

Tasting Hours: Daily 11-5pm


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