Wine Tasting Event in Miami

"Wine on Harvest Moon" isn't your ordinary wine tasting event. The event, now in it's seventh year, includes fine wine, fine food and fine art under the golden light of the Harvest Moon at the Deering Estate. Every year the wine tasting event features a different region - and this year it is the Wines of Spain presented by Crown Wine and Spirits.

With a tasting map and wine glass in hand, guests can explore the historic Stone House and Richmond Cottage which are filled with a variety of Tapas prepared by a select group of Miami's Top Chefs.


Be sure to enjoy a glass of wine in the Prohibition Era Wine Cellar where Charles Deering once hid his collection of fine wine and spirits.


Guests can also enjoy the best of Flamenco presented by Clarita Filgueiras - Flamenco Puro. And be one of the first to see the new permanent exhibit "Marycel and Tamarit" in the Stone House. Tickets for Members are $60 and for Non-members are $75.

Treat yourself to the VIP experience! As a VIP Ticket holder, you are invited to arrive one hour early to enjoy a special VIP Tasting with Professor Chip Cassidy, Wine Director of Crown Wine & Spirits, a culinary tour with event sommelier Marita Leonard, Ortanique on the Mile, preview the art and enjoy a special tour of Spain as seen through the eyes of Charles Deering. You will also receive preferred VIP parking and reserved VIP seating on the Stone House Court Yard for scheduled performances throughout the evening. VIP Tickets for Members are $120 and Non-members $150.

Drink and be merry because this event is for a good cause. Proceeds benefit the Deering Estate Foundation, which serves as the advocacy support group and philanthropic arm of the Deering Estate at Cutler. The Foundation raises funds to support education, research, exhibits and collections, natural conservation and historical restoration and preservation at the Deering Estate at Cutler.

Purchase tickets early because this event has sold out in the past. To purchase tickets or for more information call 305-235-1668 ext. 263.

Weddings at the Morikami Museum & Gardens

There are a number of attractions in Florida that also serve as a beautiful setting for wedding ceremonies and receptions. The Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, and its tranquil natural setting, has become a premier rental facility in Palm Beach County. Their are 200 acres which include expansive Japanese gardens with strolling paths, a tropical bonsai collection, small lakes, nature trails, pine forests and a variety of wildlife.

A sunset wedding ceremony overlooking the lake provides a one of a kind backdrop for guests and for wedding photos. Those who do get married at Morikami receive a one-year membership, which includes unlimited free admission to the museum and gardens.

Cirque du Soleil Corteo coming to Miami

Corteo, one of the many touring Cirque du Soleil shows, is coming to Miami on Thursday, November 13th. That's right - they are setting up shop (actually, the Grand Chapiteau) at Bicentannial Park in Downtown Miami. Performances will be held through the end of November. I am a big fan of the Cirque du Soleil shows. I have seen several shows in Miami and Las Vegas and enjoy the creativity and uniqueness of each show. It's breathtaking what an ordinary circus has transformed to and how the enchanting music and performances take you to another world. Oh yes, let's not forget the comedy...

Corteo Tickets are on sale now exclusively for Cirque du Soleil Club Members. Becoming a member is free and easy, so take advantage of this great opportunity (especially since you will get the better seats!)

Tickets go on sale to the general public on Sunday, August 17th.

Jazz Vocalist Dana Paul to perform at the Summer Cabaret Concert Series

Don’t miss the final concert of the 2008 Summer Cabaret Series at the Deering Estate at Cutler. On Saturday, August 30th, Jazz Vocalist Dana Paul will be performing “Moments of My Life” and “A Tribute to Gershwin.” Dana is a featured vocalist with the South Florida Big Band, “The Peter Graves’ Atlantean Driftwood Band.”

The concert begins at 8 pm and the main gate opens at 7 pm. Guests are welcome to bring refreshments and snacks to enjoy during the show. Tickets are $20. Limited seating is available. Advance tickets are recommended. Seating is available on a first-come, first-serve basis.

The 5th Annual Summer Cabaret Concert Series features eclectic and world music artists in the intimate setting of the Stone House Ballroom. The Deering Estate hosts a three-concert series in June, July and August. The Debbie Orta Jazz Quartet performed on Saturday, June 28th and Sitar Player Stephan Mikes performed on July 26th – both to sold out crowds!

For more information or to purchase tickets, please contact the Deering Estate Ticket Office at 305-235-1668 ext. 233.

Medieval Times Dinner Show Orlando

When visiting Orlando, go out and get Medieval with it! At the Medieval Times Dinner Show, you do just that, or actually the performers do it for you.

You and your guest will have a chance to journey back to a ruthless and cruel era in the world’s past. A time, in which, the strongest and wealthiest ruled, it’s a pre-Darwin survival of the fittest.

Before entering the royal dinning area, you will be required to stand and experience what it would be like to be common folk during the Middle Ages. There are many things going on during the pre-show performance, including the SELLING of drinks, merchandise, trinkets and other unique accessories during this period, all highlighted by a small performance enticing the crowd to get into character too. However, our role is to become the peasants of the time. Even the seating is like being designated a specific class of society, where special seating garners better views of the performance, as would better classes of society give you better privileges. Go ahead, upgrade to VIP, it’s worth it.

Once you have a seat in your right class, I mean color, you will be amazed how large the place is and you will not even notice that there are around 1,000 people in attendance. The entire audience is all anticipating the live performance and slowly being brought into this other world. Every age is able to enjoy the setting, no matter how WWE it is, sorry Hulk Hogan.

From the servers to the bar tenders, everyone is in costume. They work together to help create the suspension of disbelief, by playing dual roles as performer and restaurant employee. You kind of don’t even realize that they are working both characters but look closely and you will see Rachel pouring you beer one minute then parading on stage with a giant flag the next. I can only imagine the infighting of employee’s egos colliding, where the performer ‘onlys’ feel greater then the typical waiter or server. That’s just my imagination, enticed by this cool setting viewed by a former bar tender and ‘Super-server’. Go Olive Garden, Hops, Outback, Friday’s, and Chillis, just to mention a few.

As the performance begins, the pace is perfectly orchestrated. In no particular order, you will be offered, to upgrade your chicken to white meat, name brand drinks from the bar, all sorts of photo packages and useless trinkets that you might buy just for the sake of Greenspan. It was a little much and slightly distracted me from the performance I came to see and imitate for hours later. Otherwise, the food and the show was better then expected, but seriously where is the silverware?

The best part of the evening was seeing the competition of the knights on horses and the fighting scenes. For just a few minutes, the knights rode horses and displayed more technical skills necessary for battle. Two such events were while riding a horse the knight must position the joust perfectly to pluck a small ring off a string. The other is while riding a horse, the knight must strike a small target with his joust in the center. Each of these skills is more interesting and respectful then a rehearsed battle scene, not that there is anything wrong with it. But don’t Titanic everything.

The food is delicious even though you have to eat it with your hands. Pretending your at a BBQ or tailgate in South Carolina, and use-your-hands. The menu includes garlic bread, tomato bisque soup, roasted chicken, spare rib, herb-basted potatoes, pastry of the Castle, coffee and two rounds of beverages.

Medieval Times is worth ever bit of what it might cost you to do it right. Get the photo, buy the souvenir, DVD, and the VIP package, treat your self like the king. You will remember it forever or at least the kids will. Medieval Times is suitable for all ages.

Pittock Mansion in Portland, Oregon

It's truly amazing when historic homes are saved from demolition and restored for the public to enjoy. In the case of the Pittock Mansion, located in the West Hills of Portland, the citizens of Portland raised the $225,000 purchase price and the estate was open to the public in 1965 by the Portland Parks & Recreation Department.

When visiting the Pittock Mansion, you get a glimpse of Portland's past. The estate was the home of Oregon trail pioneers Henry and Georgiana Pittock. Henry was the owner of the famous newspaper "The Oregonian," which is still in print today. Henry and Georgiana were married for 58 years and lived in the mansion from 1914 to 1919.

As you explore the grounds of the estate, the manicured lawn features a variety of flowers and guests are welcome to take in this beauty for free. There are actually 46 acres of forest and gardens, as well as miles of hidden hiking trails. Be sure to explore the 30 room mansion (23 rooms are actually open to the public). There is a small admission fee to go inside, but it is definitely well worth it. I was fascinated with the different objects and artifacts found in each room. One of my favorites was the harp located in the music room. There are also several photographs of Henry and Georgiana as well as family portraits.

Pittock descendants were said to be very generous with their donations of original items to the mansion. Some of the original furniture in the house today was purchased by the Pittock Mansion Society.

The mansion is 1,000 feet above the city's skyline and on a clear day, you can see up to five mountains in the Cascade Range, including Mount St. Helens and Mount Hood. There are benches where you can sit to enjoy this view and a couple minutes of solitude.

The Pittock Mansion is just one example of an American Treasure that was preserved for many people to enjoy throughout the decades.

Seattle's Space Needle is my Eiffel Tower

It must be something about the dynamics of being 605 ft in the sky, over viewing the entire Seattle skyline, that makes you feel ready to proclaim your inner most feelings to the entire city. I certainly can attest to these emotions and my quiet proclamation that I didn't necessarily want to share. (Just yet!). However, I did and let it be known that the Space Needle will always be considered my Eiffel Tower.

Our entire Seattle mini-vacation was created to visit this landmark place. Our hotel room was nearly two blocks from the Needle. To our disappointment, our hotel room almost had the perfect view from the bedroom, but it was blocked by a covered driveway to protect visitors from the relentless Seattle rain. Yes, we all know Seattle is overcast and dreary and not even the rainiest city in the nation. Luckily for us, we got to see Seattle on a sunny day.

The Space Needle is a cool place with a certain vibe in the air. You can't help but look for it where ever you are. Whether you taking a harbor cruise on Argosy Cruises, at the Farmers Market, buying coffee at the original Starbucks or up the hill at Porter's house, while in Seattle you will be looking for the iconic landmark where ever you visit.

The journey up the Needle only takes 43 seconds and once you get to the top, you will be enamored by the incredible vista. The 360 degree Observation Deck allows you to see Seattle in all its magnificence. You will be able see Mount Rainer just right of the downtown skyline. You will have an aerial view of Elliott Bay, the harbor that Argosy Cruises passes through. Photos are incredible here. The only drawback to taking photos is the wires and the cables that protect lunatics and daredevils from jumping off. If you buy the Space Needle DVD, you will see how visitors had an unobstructed view unlike today.

A great compliment to the incredible views is the interactive and informative displays around the observation deck called the SkyQ. The SkyQ is made up of five kiosks that offer a truly hands-on way to explore Seattle on an entirely new level. One cool interactive display is to see a minute-by-minute, 360 degree panoramic view of Seattle. By merely rotating a dial, you can see the entire city move and function from the Space Needle's vantage point. This definitely is cool for any age group.

Also, along the walls are intriguing facts and old images detailing the Space Needle's history. You can see images of the construction of the Needle. You may also read about its cost, purpose and other important facts. Don't be in a hurry, be ready experience everything on the observation deck. This makes for longer memories and a deeper connection to the landmark itself.

Go ahead and splurge, get the Day/Night pass and see the Space Needle during the day and at night. It is well worth the extra $4 dollars.

Souvenirs are abundant at the SpaceBase. There are hundreds of items to choose from including: Space Needle figurines, pens, magnets, key chains, shirts, hats and hundreds of other items. For us, the DVD was the coolest and must have at the souvenir shop. We enjoyed see the Space Needle circa 1962 and watching it being built.

My favorite souvenir from the Space Needle will always be the memories and the photo taken by Jaime, the coolest dude. He got on the ground to take a picture of us with the Space Needle in the background. Jaime and Porter, you guys rock!