With their “grain-to-glass” philosophy, it’s the ideal setting, from the ingredients (grains including rye, wheat, malting barley, and potatoes) harvested from local Alberta farms, to the water from the Canadian Rockies, to the history of Turner Valley’s prohibition times of the 1920s.
Gingerly I step through the crumbling watchtower at Samatai West and onto the Great Wall of China. I will never forget that first moment. The wall snaking off in either direction as far as the eye can see, the trail undulating up and down along the crest of the mountain ridge. It stops you in your tracks. It takes your breath away. Steep, narrow trails up to watchtowers where guards in centuries past would have watched for invaders, followed by crumbling steps down the other side where we would pick our way carefully and make our way back down.
Charleston, South Carolina is a food town. Good old southern cooking is available, but so is fresh farm to table cuisine. Located at 18 Pinckney Street in the historic district is a charming old house off the beaten path with culinary magic happening inside.
The golden sun sparkling on the rolling sea, the salty wind kissing my cheeks, and a massive gray whale skimming through the water before diving down below — for years I had dreamed of beholding this blue ballet up close from a whale watching boat. Alas, what I had also imagined was spending the entire tour turning sickly green and vomiting in front of strangers. At forty years old, my seafaring fantasy finally turned into a barf-free reality. Here are five tips to help you enjoy the beautiful beasts of the deep without feeding every fish in the sea.
This area has everything going for it to be a culinary dream-come-true: great purveyors of fresh produce, basically on the sea for fresh fish, and remarkable cattle ranchers. Then there’s the wine and olive oils. Put all those elements together and this is a foodie’s paradise.
