Visual Traveler & Chocolate Blog

With plenty of time before meeting the rest of my media group for dinner, I took a leisurely stroll along San Antonio River Walk. Everywhere I looked bright, papel picado fluttered in a warm breeze, celebrating the 11-day annual Fiesta® San Antonio. What began as the Battle of the Flowers to honor Texas heroes, in 1891, today's Fiesta incorporates more than 100 unique events that draw spectators from across the city, nation and globe. 

Along my walk, musicians played from a riverfront restaurant patio as visitors took selfies from an arched and decorated stone footbridge across the water. I then returned to my spacious room at historic and elegant The St. Anthony, a Luxury Collection Hotel, where I found fresh ingredients and a recipe for a margarita. 

Not long after enjoying my in-room cocktail, our group sat down to dinner as 2017 Texas Cavaliers King - Dr. Michael A. Casillas - regaled us with fun facts about their organization's annual Texas Cavaliers River Parade. We then attended this celebration the following night. Our parade evening food, festivities, and live music (see brief video, below) accompanied riverfront seats, where float lights sparkled across the water after sunset.

​During our multi-day visit we also learned to make paper flowers while admiring the expertise of craftspeople who created delicate and beautiful ​cascarones (hollowed-out, dyed chicken eggs filled with confetti). That's when we learned having a cascarone break on your head is considered good luck.

Delicious dining and exploring historic sites enhanced our San Antonio trip, but participating in Fiesta is what stole my heart! 

​​​​Disclaimer: As a travel writer I may receive complimentary stays, admissions, meals, transportation, and, occasionally, products I am asked to review. However, I make every effort to report my experiences fairly and honestly.

Simultaneously regal and imposing, Fairmont Le Château Frontenac stood before me as it had decades earlier, during a childhood family visit to Québec City. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, this lovely historic hotel also has an impressive 'eco-footprint.' Environmental efforts have included elimination of all single use plastics (2023), rooftop bee hives, and a move towards carbon neutrality for the property. 

But my media visit actually began at the front desk for our host hotel. As French words tumbled from my mouth, I marveled that I had crafted a complete sentence in a language I had rarely spoken in several decades. “Je m’appelle Lisa Waterman Gray et je suis ici avec Québec tourisme (My name is Lisa Waterman Gray and I am here with Québec tourism).” The hotel receptionist nodded immediately and began searching for my reservation.
 
“Parlez vous Français? (Do you speak French?),” asked a lovely women standing nearby. “Un petit peu (A little bit),” I said. She immediately shifted to English. “You speak it very well – and with no accent. I am the hotel manager and we will be meeting for dinner again tonight.” We shook hands and spoke briefly about the evening’s schedule before I headed to my room.

I loved walking through old Québec City during this multi-day visit, listening to lilting conversational French between shopkeepers and customers, and occasionally speaking a bit of the language, myself.  Dozens of artisan shops and boutiques lined the city's narrow streets, where French and English building foundations dated from the 1600s.

I savored cheese samples at a gourmet grocery store, devoured freshly baked pastry from another shop, and appreciated the 'clip clop' sound of hooves from a horse-drawn carriage in the square. My footfalls also reverberated against the broad, waterfront boardwalk with its views of slowly passing boats and occasional vendors.  

​By the time we left Québec City to explore other areas of Québec Province, I knew I would have no problem spending several days here again - on my next visit. 

​​​Disclaimer: As a travel writer I may receive complimentary stays, admissions, meals, transportation, and, occasionally, products I am asked to review. However, I make every effort to report my experiences fairly and honestly.

Please note these photos were taken 10+ years ago. While they reflected the character of Québec City during my visit, specific details may have changed.

On a frigid fall day, our small media group pulled on tall waders and walked through ripe Wisconsin cranberry bogs that stretched to the horizon, as workers gently harvested the fruit before loading it into enormous trucks. We then traded our protective gear for warm vehicles. We had just experienced the state's cranberry culture.

More than 200 growers in this "Cranberry Capital of the World” produce 60% (or more!) of the nation's cranberry crop each fall, with annual production as high as 5.01 million barrels. Quebec is the world's second largest cranberry growing region, harvesting about 2.5 million barrels each year.

New cranberry vines typically yield fruit for the first time in three to five years, and some Wisconsin vines are 50 to 60 years old. The best soil includes sand and/or peat and access to water is also important for optimal growth. Although these vines like hot, humid summers and cold winters, cranberry growers create an ice layer to protect plants, when the temperature dips below zero. 

​Three Wisconsin Ocean Spray plants create sweetened dried cranberries and concentrate. At its peak, the Wisconsin Rapids plant processes 500,000-600,000 pounds of berries daily using strict quality control. Cranberry hulls become cattle feed, and 90% landfill gas fuels the plant.

Scheduled by a Des Moines p.r. firm during a different visit, one of my favorite 'cranberry culture' experiences was a 'Splash of Red Cranberry Tour' provided by students from Pittsville High School's Local Foods Class. We boarded a bus and individual kids filled us in on every aspect of cranberries. We toured a marsh under production and observed harvesting, testing, cleaning, and freezing of the berries. Covering the history of the cranberry industry and how it has evolved, their school curriculum prepared them well to discuss plant anatomy, growth, nutrition, and diseases. 

For a big dose of Wisconsin's cranberry culture, visit  the Warrens Cranberry Festival, which commemorated its 50th anniversary in 2023. The free event celebrates cranberries with arts and crafts, over 100 farm market vendors and a variety of food stands serving unique and delicious cranberry treats. 

My family lived outside Oakland, California for about 18 months during elementary school and occasionally visited San Francisco. And Fisherman's Wharf had long captivated me. So, after a media trip to northern California's wine country* I happily explored the 'neighborhood' for a day before flying home. 

I arrived on a cool, sunny February afternoon, stashed my luggage at the Best Western Tuscan Inn at Fisherman's Wharf and headed out on foot. As a chilly breeze swept through the area, I purchased woven gloves from a street vendor. Then I explored for several hours. 

I grinned as Lombard Street, Coit Tower, and Alcatraz Island each came into view, and the city's renowned cable cars passed me. I visited a wine shop and admired a vintage carousel. I giggled as a crowd of sea lions lounged beside a sign that said 'No Docking,' and paused to enjoy several street musicians. I followed my nose to Boudin Bakery, known for sourdough bread since 1849, and grabbed a luscious scoop at The Original Ghirardelli Ice Cream & Chocolate Shop. As sunlight dimmed, I returned to my hotel for appetizers and cocktails. 
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Early the next morning I walked through the neighborhood again. Amid foggy mist, fishing boats awaited crews, and live crabs awaited customers at Alioto - Lazio Fish Co. In Ghirardelli Square I encountered pallets of product, ready for unloading. I finally made my way to The Buena Vista cafe to sample its legendary Irish coffee, amid dark, 1916 wood and a multicolored tile bar backsplash. 

Two hours later my rideshare arrived at the hotel and we headed towards San Francisco International Airport. It couldn't have been a better 24 hours. 

*Please note: This trip occurred more than a decade ago so some images may be dated.*

Gulf Coast waters were as smooth as glass when I arrived for dinner at Doc's Seafood & Steaks on Padre Island more than a decade ago. The entire back wall of this expansive, bustling casual restaurant opened to deck seating and gorgeous views. 

Assigned to write a AAA story about Padre Island National Seashore, I drove eight hours to Dallas from my Overland Park, Kansas home, where I spent the night with friends. On the following day, I traveled 6 1/2 hours before finally reaching Padre Island.

By the time I saw the shoreline I was soooo ready to ditch my car for a brief barefoot walk in the surf, plus a margarita and fish tacos beside the water. I slept very soundly that night too, in my Corpus Christi hotel.

The next day I spent several hours at the Seashore where a beautiful wooden deck flanked the Malaquite Visitor Center. Nearby, gentle waves and a fine, sandy beach invited leisurely strolls. A flock of gulls created a large 'V' in the sky and smaller birds tiptoed across damp sand. ​Dinner at Doc's capped off the day, although I don't remember my specific meal.

I do remember checking the weather forecast frequently and deciding I should leave the area by early the following morning - despite initially reserving my hotel room for three nights. My Dallas friends would graciously host me one night earlier than we originally anticipated. And, after one last early morning walk on the beach I hit the road.

It was a good thing I listened to my gut about weather and my upcoming drive. As it turned out massive rain storms inundated the area along my route, after I passed by beneath cloudy skies. 

​Disclaimer: As a travel writer I may receive complimentary stays, admissions, meals, transportation, and, occasionally, products I am asked to review. However, I make every effort to report my experiences fairly and honestly.