The Cave B Inn is nestled onto the side of the Columbia River gorge (and for all you rockers is on the way to the Gorge Amphitheater). We first heard about it when we were out in Vermont during my sabbatical - the head chef at Jackson House, Jason Merrill, mentioned that one of his friends worked there. For a couple of years now we'd been talking about checking out the local Washington wine scene and after we saw a recent write-up in Seattle Metropolitan we decided this was our chance.

As a facility the inn is easily on par with some of its more expensive and stuffy cousins down in California Wine country. Immaculate grounds, top-rate spa, and the rooms are sumptuous and well appointed. Our room was located in The Cavern - a building that is literally carved out of the the cliff-face. While the exposed rock-face is not visible from inside the rooms, it is located just outside the door. The views of the Columbia Gorge from the Cavern rooms were very dramatic especially at sunset.

The one disappointment was the restaurant Tendrils. Although lauded with the prestigious James Beard award - we just didn't find that the food measured up to expectations. Our scallops were a tad on the fishy side and our beef, while robust in taste, was not tender. It's my hope that this is something the staff can address in order to turn Cave B into a true 5-star accommodation.

Wine-Tasting

The Inn is also well situated at the end-point of a long wine-tasting tour that will take you through Wenatchee all the way to Leavenworth. Tyler at the Cave B winery recommended a number of neighboring wineries to visit - and although not all of them were open (they tend to only open on Saturday afternoons) we did find some gems. We highly recommend Martin-Scott, a relatively young vineyard whose manager Chris shares his down-to-earth thoughts on his wine in a comfortable, folksy atmosphere. Their Raven Ridge Red is excellent and recently won an "Outstanding" in a recent Wine Press Northwest, and at $19/bottle it's still quite a steal IMO.

Another great tropical vacation for the holidays - this time in the former British colony of Antigua. We stayed at the Carlisle Bay resort, which was hands down the best resort we've ever stayed in the Caribbean - impeccable friendly service, top-class accommodations and amenities and direct access to the beach where you're waited on hand & foot.

Antigua is not as lush as St. Lucia, or as busy/active as St. Martin - but its a great place to chill and unwind. They truly embrace the concept of "island time" - in a good way. People were very laid-back and friendly. Basically a great place for me to contemplate - "Do I really want to go back to work?" :D

Is there anything like NYC for the Holidays? Well to be honest I didn't know for sure, but Sara assured me that it's something special. So this year we took the plunge and went out the visit NYC in early December. Apparently this is peak season for the Big Apple - and while airfare wasn't bad - hotels were sky-high. The Mid-town Hilton, where we usually stay for sentimental reasons was over 3 times its usual rate, over $700/night. After a considerable amount of leg-work Sara was able to find us reasonable accommodations at the Hotel Roosevelt.

We had a great time - and between activities and meetings w/ friends & family this was definitely one of the most fun-filled trips I've ever had to NYC. I was exhausted - and well fed. We did a lot of the traditional holiday things like the skating rink at Rockefeller Plaza, the Nutcracker at Lincoln Center and a tour of the Holiday Windows (see photos) but my personal Highlights included:

Late Night Noshing at the Stage Deli - We landed in JFK hungry, and by the time we were checked in to the hotel we were starving. But it was all for good cause. We were saving ourselves for a late night nosh at the world famous Stage Deli. This is a throw-back to my childhood when my dad would always insist on taking us here on our first day in NYC. Lucky for me I married a Jewish girl! The borscht soup w/ sour cream still warms you up, just in time for the beautifully sinful and stacked hot pastrami on rye with a side of potato latkes.

Design Life Now at the Cooper-Hewitt Museum - Every 3 years, the Cooper Hewitt National Design museum hosts a showcase of contemporary design across everything from electronics, housing, furniture and industrial design. There are some obvious ones like the iPod, but some wacky contraptions as well - like a robot that thinks like a lobster.

Avenue Q - Think of it as "Subversive Sesame Street". Mix in muppets with black humor songs like The Internet is for Porn, Schadenfreude and Everyone's a little bit racist and that's Avenue Q - my kind of Broadway musical. Admittedly its not for everyone - an elderly out-of-town couple next to us got up and left after the "muppet sex." Oh well different strokes for different folks (ahem!).

Brooklyn Heights Promenade - Thanks to Sara's cousin Cyndy we found the perfect way to spend our last day in NY, a walking tour of Brooklyn, courtesy of New York magazine. After a few days in Manhattan during the holiday crush, it was a relief to see a quieter side of New York and walk the Brooklyn Heights promenade, which offers an uninterrupted view of the Statue of Liberty and Manhattan.

Confused about what is and isn't kosher to bring on-board a plane these days? Here's the definitive list as of today:

"Due to enhanced security measures liquids, gels, lotions and other items of similar consistency will not be permitted in carry-on baggage. These types of items must be packed in your checked baggage."

Source: "TSA: Permitted and Prohibited Items - Mozilla Firefox"

When poets and painters want to wax about the beauty of China - Guilin is one of the places they visit. If you've ever seen a Chinese painting with those distinctive steep karst mountains, chances are it was inspired by Guilin. The natural beauty is all around you, even in the city which has its share of hills, mountains and parks. We stayed at the Hotel of Modern Art, which seeks to marry more contemporary art with the natural and traditional art that Guilin is so rich in. While interesting, we found its location 50 mins outside Guilin proper to be a major inconvenience.

The Li River Tour is probably the sight-seeing highlight of Guilin for most folks. I had just come down with a cold and was on medication, so the entire trip has a somewhat dream-like quality to it. Perhaps its for the best, some poets might say that's the best way to see the Li River. As we arrived the rain began to fall and the hills surrounding the river began to fill with billowing mist, giving the landscape a very haunting feeling. Bring a picnic lunch though because the food they serve on these boats was some of the worst we had the entire trip.

SNAKES on a plate! Definitely one of the most memorable parts of Guilin, and one of the most memorable meals I've eaten was when our guide Bing took us to eat Snake. We were lead down to a series of cages where we learned we could select from a number of snakes to eat, including King Cobra. The one we chose was called 5-Step Snake (aka Chinese Mocassin) - called so because after being bit, the victim can only walk 5 steps before he dies (shades of Kill Bill!) As soon as we selected the snake, before we could even blink, the snake handler grabbed a pair of shears and cut off the head, with the body still wriggling. Because all of the venom is in the head, we can eat the body without a problem. He then proceeded to drain the snake blood into a glass, then slice open the body, gut it, and pop off the gall bladder. Later we got served up with 3 dishes - Deep Fried Snake (the Chairman's special recipe), Snake Soup and Steamed snake with vegetables. The meat was like chicken, but a little gamier and chewier. The piece de resistance was two types of Snake Sake, which only Steve and I drank. The first was made with the Snake Blood, which as the evening wore on began to coagulate and started tasting more and more like blood. The second was made from the Bile, and is supposedly good for the complexion. In any event, quite the spectacle!

Finally back from our 18-day trip thru China, Hong Kong & Singapore. We went with our friends Larry & Sue and Steve & Lila - and the good thing is that we're all still friends. Seriously we had a great time and some memorable adventures. If all you want to do is look at the pretty pictures, check our our Flickr group - its a combination of candid snaps and some truly beautiful photography from Steve & Larry (one advantage of traveling with serious shutterbugs is that you don't have to carry the heavy equipment).

Great Wall & Toboggan Ride - The Great Wall does not disappoint. We chose the Mutianyu area of the wall and almost had an entire section of the wall to ourselves. We eschewed the cable car and made the arduous climb to the top. The only sad thing is that a haze hung around the area, limiting visibility. After imagining ourselves defending China from the barbarian northern hordes, we hopped on a toboggan and rode our way back down. It was a hoot!

Olympic Architectural Models Exhibit Hall - As you may know, China has commissioned some truly breath-taking new structures lately in anticipation of the 2008 Olympics. We'd seen a documentary about some of these mega-structures and has asked to visit them, but we were told we could only see the models. We were prepared to be disappointed, but this was actually VERY cool. They've completely built out Beijing's down-town in miniature and you are able to overlook or even walk around the area, with specialized lighting around some of the newer buildings.

Hutong Tour - These old neighborhoods of Beijing were formerly under siege by new development, but recently Beijing has embarked on a preservation and renewal effort. They're not the most glamorous parts of the city, but they do give you an opportunity to see how Beijing people have lived for centuries, and really see the city at street-level. 

Forbidden City & Starbucks - I have mixed feelings about the Forbidden City. While intellectually I understand what it represents from a historical/cultural perspective, I found it mostly hot, dusty and emotionally dead. If you're visiting Beijing, I think you almost have to go to say, "Yes I went". And yes if you ask around there's a lil Starbucks in there where we indulged in some iced Frappucino's - hey what can I say - it was hot.

Grand Hyatt Beijing - Yeah we splurged a bit on some of the hotels and this was one of them. Awesome rooms and a wonderful Xanadu inspired swimming area complete with waterfalls and hot-tubs. Plus within walking distance of the Forbidden City and the shopping street of Wahfujing.

Breadtalk Breakfasts w/ Dr. Anal - Screw expensive hotel breakfasts. Most of the time we found ourselves at a little inexpensive bakery in a nearby subway station. Breadtalk is actually based out of Singapore and serves great pastries & curry puffs. As far as the "Dr. Anal" part - that's an inside joke. Did I mention there was a Starbucks across the hall too?

Scorpion Kebabs - We did our best to eat as much local food as possible while in Beijing, including buns, dumplings & noodles. However, we drew the line at Scorpion-on-a-stick. We were just starting our trip - what if it disagreed with us?

Physical Assault at the Silk Market - OK this is not as traumatic as it sounds - but some of these shop-girls can be downright aggressive. If you're a foreign female, watch out! "LADY! LADY!!!" Sara got grabbed a couple of times - but she was a good bargainer, getting a silk bed cover down from 800 yuan to 150 yuan (basically $20).  You'll find all manner of junk here, clothing, handbags and knock-offs. I found this funny little sign which made me laugh.

• Start off with warm crumpets & tea at the Crumpet Shop.
• Stop off at Frank's Produce to pick up some fruit & veggies (or just snag a free sample).
• Visit Rei (aka the Truffle Queen) at Buona Tavola to restock on Truffle Cream
• Grab a fresh baguette and a palmier at Le Panier
• By this time we're almost desperate to eat what we've picked up, so its a quick dash into Delaurenti's for some prosciutto & salami

TSA: Putting a Price on Convenience
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced its latest plans to establish a voluntary nationwide Registered Traveler Program. Speeding through a private airport security line may be in your future if you’re willing to pay for the privilege, provide biometric information and register for a background check.

Basically, private companies would provide a fee-based service for registering travelers, issuing smart cards, and establishing dedicated airport security checkpoints.

With your background check on file and a biometric smart card ensuring your identity, the TSA contends that you'll be able to zip through a private security checkpoint. For now, many questions remain unanswered, such as cost and coverage for the traveler.

Many private companies are vying to provide this service, including Expedia® Corporate Travel in partnership with Saflink, Microsoft, Johnson Controls and ID Tech Partners. As the plan develops, we'll keep you posted on options for business travelers.

If you'd like to read more, consider the TSA's announcement as well as an interesting MSNBC article that weighs in on the TSA's Registered Traveler program.

• Woodstock VT - a picturesque little New England town, in an almost Stepford Wives sort of way. According to townsfolk Woodstock has become the getaway for urban New Yorkers looking to escape the grind. You're right in the middle of maple syrup country and cheese farms. If you get a chance, visit the Sugarbush Farm for some great cheese and maple syrup tasting - my personal favorites are the  Jalapeño and Cayenne Pepper Cheddar and their Grade A Dark Amber. For dinner you must must must visit the Jackson House Inn - stunning preparations of Foie Gras and Pheasant, and the Head Chef Jason Merrill loves to chat - about life, food, travel. We had an awesome time!
• Montreal - We stayed at the St. Paul, which is just outside of Old Montreal. It's one of those boutique hotel (yo Kingsley!) so a little spartan but well designed. For me Old Montreal is the heart of the city - it reminds me of the French Quarter in New Orleans - a lot of life, great food and fun shops. We grabbed a bite to eat in a great little cafe called Stash - if you love schnitzel, cabbage rolls and potato latkes, check this place out. My find of this trip was jumping into a costume shop and finding a little latex mask (I collect them) made by the artist who makes them for Cirque du Soleil! Definitely something for the next Ren fair.