Travelsmartplanet

If you are an aficionado of cigars, bourbon and local craft beer you are going to want to head to Fredericksburg Fairgrounds on August 18th for an amazing day at the Cigar, Bourbon and Brew Festival.

The festival features 20 craft beers from local Fredericksburg Breweries,  bourbons from all across the country and some homegrown, produced in Virginia, and a select number of Virginia Wineries and Cideries, and a notable selection of cigars.

Known as Fredericksburg’s premier cigar event, this festival features an impressive selection of cigar brands including: Drew Estate, Perdomo, Fartello, Romeo Y  Julieta, Montecristo, Miami Cigars and Esteban Carreras.

If you have a passion for bourbon, you will appreciate the extraordinary representation of spirits being showcased from all across the country. Over  30 different samples from 20 different distilleries including: Jack Daniel’s, Woodford Reserve, Old Forester, Belmont Farm Distillery, Virginia Sweetwater Distillery, KO Distilling, Catoctin Creek, Copper Fox Distillery, Filibuster Distillery, Maker’s Mark, Basil Hayden, River Hill Distillery, Reservoir Distillery, A. Smith Bowman Distillery, Buffalo Trace Distillery, Booker’s, Bulleit Bourbon, Jefferson’s, Baker’s and Knob Creek.

Craft brewers from the around the Fredericksburg area will be on hand with 20 craft beers for sampling of some of their award winning beers. For those of you who prefer a glass of wine or hard cider there will be a select number of Virginia Wineries and Cideries sampling their award winning beverages as well.

Whether it’s stogies, whiskey, craft brews, wine or hard cider, there’s something for everyone including food vendors serving up some great festival style foods and craft expos as well as live music from Redneck Pool Party and  Kingbolts on the main stage. This event supports Community Outreach Inc. For Tickets: community-outreach-14908279529

 Location: Fredericksburg Fairgrounds, 2400 Airport Ave, Fredericksburg VA 22401
Date: Sat, Aug 18, 2018
Time: 4pm – 9pm
Tel: 540-373-1294
cigarbourbonbeer.com
For Regional Accommodations, Restaurants & Attractions: visitfred.com

As you enter the side door of the Surratt House Museum you are walking in the path of John Wilkes Booth the night he killed President Lincoln, since he came here to retrieve a rifle, field glasses and supplies for his run from the law.

Built in 1852, this was a tavern, an inn, a post office and a polling place. It was a safe house for the Confederate underground. The massive search for Booth led them here to Mary Surratt’s house, and as a result she was tried in a military court and convicted of conspiracy to assassinate the President. On July 7, 1865 Mary Surratt was the first woman to be executed by the federal government.

In your visit to this famous house, a docent in 1860’s period clothing walks you through the typical middle class home.  History buffs can make reservations for the 12-hour “Escape Route” bus tour. Many of the same roads and houses used by Booth are still in existence and are visited on this excursion which is narrated by nationally-recognized authorities on the Lincoln assassination and John Wilkes Booth’s flight.  Tour Dates for 2018: Apr 14, 21, 28 and Sept 8, 15, 22.

If you’re in the Clinton area Sat, Dec 2 – Sun, Dec 10, stop by the Surratt House Museum for their special Christmas program- An Old Fashioned Holiday: Bringing Christmas Past to Christmas Present, celebrating the Christmas of yesteryear amid period decorations, special exhibits and seasonal histories. On the weekend of December 9 and 10, return to enjoy special activities for all ages, cookies, cider, and holiday discounts in the museum’s gift shop.

Location: Surratt House Museum, 9118 Brandywine Road, Clinton, MD 20735
Hours: Wed – Fri 11am – 3pm, Sat -Sun 12 – 4pm
The Surratt House Museum is closed from Dec 12th to Jan 17th.
Tel: 301-868-1121
surrattmuseum.org
For Regional Accommodations, Restaurants & Attractions: visitprincegeorgescounty.com

The holiday season would not be complete stepping back into the Victorian era in Fayetteville Christmas tradition. Ever wish for a simpler time, when the pace of life wasn’t hectic and families still enjoyed spending evenings together? Roll back the clock with Fayetteville for A Dickens Holiday.

Horse drawn carriages roll up and down Hay Street, carrying shoppers the old fashioned way by merchants, artisans and vendors of all sorts of delightful treats. Joyful children pose with Father Christmas for memory laden pictures. Savor the inviting aroma of cider and gingerbread permeating the chilly air.

Throughout the day, sounds of the season fill the air as carolers and musicians stroll among the crowd. There is Ebenezer Scrooge himself, pursued by the ghost of Jacob Marley. Perhaps you will be greeted by Tiny Tim and his family.

As darkness approaches and the clock reaches 5pm,  join the townspeople for the candlelight procession to the Market House, followed by fireworks. After the fireworks, the festivities continue until 9pm. Enjoy this truly unique experience and create some lasting memories with your loved ones.

Photo Credit: Wick Smith

Location: Historic Downtown Fayetteville, Hay Street – Fayetteville, NC 28301
Date: Fri,  Nov 24, 2017
Time: 1pm – 9pm
Tel: 910-323-1776
theartscouncil.com/dickensmain
For Regional Accommodations, Restaurants & Attractions: visitfayettevillenc.com

Autumn is a beautiful time of year on the coast of Maine. Enjoy the season with a visit to the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum and a ride aboard the Pumpkin Train.

Children can explore the museum , which offers a children’s play area with train tables, coloring activities, dress-up like a conductor, and child-size train station and train to climb in and the featured activity where you can paint a miniature pumpkin to bring home as a souvenir to commemorate the day.

All visitors are treated to complimentary hot cider and cookies as they travel along Portland’s waterfront. The train ride lasts approximately 40 minutes and travels 1.5 miles (3 miles round trip).  Train crew and/or museum docents are  aboard with historical and site information and providing a narrative throughout the ride. Both open air cars and enclosed cars are available.

Celebrate the beauty of autumn with a ride aboard the Pumpkin Train. It’s fun for the whole family and even family-friendly pets on a leash are welcome to this leisurely way to enjoy the scenic Eastern Promenade of Casco Bay. Trains operates rain or shine.

Location: Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Co. & Museum,
58 Fore Street, Portland, ME 04101
Dates: Oct 22nd & 23rd, Oct 29th & 30th
Time: 9:30 am – 4:00 pm, Trains on the hour 10am-3pm
Tel: 207-828-0814
mainenarrowgauge.org/pumpkin-train
For Regional Accommodations, Restaurants & Attractions: visitportland.com

At Fatz Cafe, the motto on the menu,“Where everybody is a regular”, is true and that’s because they
get addicted to the warm buttery poppy seed rolls (hint of donut taste to us). Locals come for the fried Calabash
chicken, which is marinated in buttermilk and served with honey mustard, and to enjoy the oldies music and photos of
the Florence/PeeDee area in the 60’s and 70’s. 

A popular starter is the fried green tomatoes on cheese grits with remoulade sauce or the shareable hot Cajun firecracker sticks stuffed with spicy shrimp, andouille sausage, onions, peppers, melted cheese in a tomato/basil tortilla. A hit of the meal was the Edisto shrimps and grits made with crumbled bacon in a mushroom burgundy gravy with Parmesan cheese. You could come in for the mahi mahi, spinach salad, ribs, pork chops, burgers or a sirloin steak marinated in hard cider, but you must leave room for the Carolina peach cobbler, which tastes like your gramma made it (vanilla ice cream and walnuts on top).

Location: 2007 W. Lucas, Florence, SC
Tel: 843-413-9186
www.fatzcafe.com
For Regional Accommodations and Attractions: www.visitflo.com
www.drivei95.com