Sconyers Bar-B-Que, Augusta, GA

BBQ on the brain? If you are ever in the Augusta area, Sconyers Bar-B-Que is your pit stop. Met owner Larry Sconyers by phone recently, and he shared the story of his long-running family business. Established in 1956, this Augusta destination does BBQ the old-fashioned way, pit-cooked for around 24 hours over oak and hickory. Larry, youngest son of founders Claude and Adeline and driving force behind the restaurant's national success, adheres to a time-honored philosophy. "The best barbecue is what you grew up eating, and that's what we serve, not just a meal, but our original hole-in-the-wall experience," he says. "We want you to feel like you are going to eat at your mother's or grandmother's house." Sconyers' signature pork BBQ and hash has been served at the White House and the Georgia State Capital; the restaurant is open Thursday through Saturday.

Bon Appetit Ontario!

Enjoyed great breakfast this morning at the Bon Appetit Culinary Studio in the Conde Nast Building on 42nd Street, hosted by Ontario Tourism, Ottawa Tourism and Tourism Toronto. First highlight was a quick detour to stop and observe the employees in the much-touted Conde Nast Cafeteria--every bit the show one would expect. Then it was off to the delicious breakfast, Ontario wines included, with my Canadian friends. Chef Caroline Ishii of Zen Kitchen in Ottawa (dined there last year, and it is truly sensational) and Chef Anthony Rose of the Drake Hotel in Toronto treated us right, from the former's sea vegetable caviar and garlic pesto dumpling in wild-leek ginger broth to the latter's Eggs Drake (apple cider poached egg with wild boar peameal bacon) and apple smoked whitefish among the savory treats. There's a food revolution on in Ontario: check out my recent feature on culinary tourism there for Meetings East.

Kent St. Viking

OK - it's now gone from egregious to obscene--the faithful updating, of course. Who better then to get things back online than the very pater nostra of this humble site, travel maven Kent St. John? Kent and I first met in the customs line at Keflavik Airport in Iceland this past May, the commencement of a week-long trip through southern Sweden and southern Finland together. While I have been saving my report of that journey for rainy day blogging, here now I must remember the great merriment shared with Kent, while also acknowledging that seeing his daily blogging in action was indeed the inspiration for Beth and I to start this site. Kent is a senior editor of the well-established Go Nomad site while also lending his considerable talents to the world of travel radio. As the photo shows, he is fond of living out his Viking fantasies while on the road. If you visit his site and see his post of today, you will also note the corpulent fellow next to Abba number five; while I cannot deny that is me, I can assure you that I am slimmer by far today.

Cave Dwellin'

Speaking of quarries--check out the spooky man-made Widow Jane caves of Rosendale, NY. This historic river-bend town in the lower Hudson River Valley, in the center of iron-rich hills, is riddled with the ruins of old mines and foundries, and locks from The Delaware & Hudson Canal Company. Home to a spectacular foot-accessible 150-foot abandoned 19th-century iron railroad trestle, Rosendale is also the former home of famed Rosendale cement, "the cement that built America." The natural cement limestone, mined in great quantities from chambers like one pictured (accessed from Route 213), was famously used in the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty, the Brooklyn Bridge, and the NY State Thruway. For five-star dining, go to chef John Novi's gastronomic wonder at the 1797 Depuy Canal House, in nearby High Falls (think twice about the downstairs Chefs on Fire, though--the service can be absent-minded).

Magical Quarry

Shockingly poor bloggery, we must confess, but sometimes feeding them babes soaks up the time. Anyhow, managed to sneak in a quickie Catskills getaway this past weekend. Based at the Pine Hill Arms, a cozy historic inn in the tiny town of Pine Hill, NY, we ventured on the unique Magical Quarry hike at nearby Sugarloaf Mountain. We love hikes--we love big payoffs on hikes even more, and this is one of the best. To reach the trailhead, take County Road 16 off Route 23A in Tannersville, NY, then follow Elka Park Road as it turns to dirt and then park just beyond Roaring Kill bridge. Follow the trail and then go left at the first trail junction. A couple of moderately easy miles up delivers you to the spiritual collection of chairs, thrones, tables and structures built by persons unknown from the remnants of an old bluestone quarry. The views are outstanding, and for an afternoon, anybody can be can king, queen--or in this case, prince of the Catskills. For cooling off, Pine Hill Lake at the foot of Belleayre Mountain off Route 28 is just a leap away.

Strawberry Fields Forever!

After relaxing at the Warwick Valley Winery & Distillery from our last posting, take Little York Road north for a driving expedition full of surprises. Winding through the foothills of Mt. Eve and Mt. Adam, look for the scale model of a church marking a peaceful Lutheran graveyard, and just beyond on the left, a roadside cemetery with stones from the 1800s.

Turn left at Mt. Eve Road and prepare to be transported into a veritable Eden--is it California? Spain? Italy? Welcome to the agricultural paradise known as the Black Dirt Region. A far-reaching flat plain rolling up into gentle hills, this was a glacial lake from 12,000 years ago. Then the waters receded, leaving up to 12 feet of jet-black organic decay. Reclaimed by Irish, Polish, German and Italian immigrants, these "drowned lands" now support a major onion crop, along with carrots, lettuce, corn, and as we happily discovered, pick-your-own strawberries.

Weekend Winos

Our cups ranneth over this weekend as we followed Summer Saturday country roads to visit two of our favorite wineries on the Shawangunk Wine Trail. If you're geared for a "Sideways"-style wine experience, save the airfare and gas up for an easy drive an hour or so north of NYC to Applewood Orchards and Winery just outside of Warwick, NY (do not miss a tasting with the lovely Christine)
and the Warwick Valley Winery & Distillery just outside of Florida, NY (if it's not busy, Keith is good company). The cider and wine at Applewood win hands down, and the food at Warwick is excellent; both feature live music, and are perfect for lazy day-long escapes. Wine-adventurers will also appreciate the unbridled ambition on display at Demarest Hill Winery where no form of fermentation is off limits. Have a grape time!