DROG – Our Driving Blog | Things we find and do along I-95

VA: Alexandria’s Scottish Celebration with Bagpipes and Boat Parade

Posted on November 23, 2015 by sandra

Alexandria, VA Exit 177: In 1749, the city of Alexandria was officially established by three Scottish merchants and named after its original founder John Alexander, also of Scottish descent and it hosts an annual (45th) Scottish holiday event.

The city celebrates the rich Scottish heritage of Old Town Alexandria with a weekend of festivities including a Christmas Marketplace, Holiday Designer Tour of Homes, and the Scottish Christmas Walk Parade, featuring marching units of Scottish descendants sporting tartans of various Scottish Clans, the stirring sound of Scottish bagpipes and drums, Scottish dancers, reenactment groups, dog clubs, dignitaries, antique cars, Santa Claus, all parading, rain or shine, through Old Town Alexandria. The parade begins at St. Asaph and Wilkes Streets and concludes at Market Square with a massed band concert.

The Alexandria Holiday Boat Parade is the culmination of holiday festivities. At sundown Alexandria’s harbor lights up as more than 50 festively decorated illuminated boats cruise the Potomac River at the historic waterfront competing in categories such as “Best in Show,” “Best Thinking Outside the Christmas Box,” and “Hardiest Souls.” and don’t miss Waterskiing Santa.

The Torpedo Factory Art Center’s Holiday Open House between 4 and 9 p.m. offering live music and festive activities including gift shopping, free fresh-baked cookies, a choir, a Gourmet Hot Chocolate Bar, along with a full-size re-creation of Santa’s fireboat display for selfie picture taking. At 8 p.m., the Braddock Street Brass Quintet will play a selection of holiday classics.

Date: Sat, Dec 5, 2015

Scottish Christmas Walk Parade: 11 AM -Old Town Alexandria- FREE campagnacenter.org/scottishwalkweekend

Holiday Designer Tour of Homes: 11 – 4 PM – select locations in Alexandria -$35 in advance; $40 at the door

Holiday Marketplace: 10 – 4 PM The Campagna Center, 418 S. Washington Street, Alexandria

Holiday Boat Parade: 4 – 7 PM – behind the Torpedo Factory (105 N Union St, Alexandria, Va.) dc.about.com/od/christmasevents/a/AlexHolBoatPara.htm
For Regional Accommodations, Restaurants & Attractions: www.visitalexandriava.com

Posted in Entertainment, Food, Fun, History, Kids, Nature, Special Event, Virginia | Tagged activity, Alexandria, annual, antique, art, bagpipe, baked, band, bar, boat, car, category, Center, cheer, chocolate, choir, Christmas, city, clan, classic, club, compete, concert, cookie, cruise, culmination, dancer, descendant, designer, dignitary, display, dog, drums, estabish, family, family-friendly, festive, festivity, fireboat, founder, free, fresh, full, gift, gourmet, group, harbor, heritage, historic, holiday, hot, illuminate, John Alexander, March, marketplace, merchant, music, offer, official, old, original, parade, phone, picture, Potomac, quintet, rain, re-creation, reenactment, rich, river, santa claus, Scottish, selfie, Shopping, show, size, soul, sport, sundown, tartan, torpedo, town, Virginia, waterfront, waterskiing, weekend, your | Leave a comment

NC: Join Scrooge, Tiny Tim and Marley in A Christmas Carol in the Streets

Posted on November 18, 2015 by sandra

Fayetteville, NC Exit 49: Imagine stepping right into the backdrop of a Dickens novel… Roll back the clock at A Dickens Holiday, when the streets of downtown Fayetteville are magically transformed into a bustling Victorian village complete with wandering carolers, horse-drawn carriages, Victorian decorations, Father Christmas, gingerbread, spiced cider, vendors and characters straight out of the Dickens masterpiece A Christmas Carol.

Horse drawn carriages roll up and down Hay Street, carrying shoppers the old fashioned way to visit merchants, artisans and vendors of all sorts of scrumptious refreshments. Get into the Dickens Holiday spirit with the inviting aroma of cider and gingerbread permeating the chilly air and throughout the day, sounds of the season fill the air as carolers and musicians stroll among the crowd. There’s a costume contest, candlelight parade and cheerful children pose with Father Christmas for memory filled pictures.

As darkness approaches and the clock reaches 5 p.m., townspeople gather in front of the Arts Council for the candlelight procession to the Market House, followed by fireworks.

Don’t miss “This Victorian Life” exposition at the Market House and check out the Gingerbread House Competition.

For more fun you can become a part of A Dickens Holiday by strolling the streets as a Victorian lady or gentleman. Check the website for easy-to-make costumes.

Location: Hay Street – Historic Downtown Fayetteville, NC 28301
Date: Fri. Nov 27, 2015
Time: 1 to 9 pm
Tel:910-323-1776
theartscouncil.com/dickensmain/
For Regional Accommodations, Restaurants & Attractions:
www.VisitFayettevilleNC.com

Posted in Arts and Crafts, Entertainment, Food, Fun, History, Kids, Nature, North Carolina, Special Event | Tagged aroma, artisan, arts, candlelight, carol, caroler, carriage, character, children, Christmas, cider, clock, competition, costume, council, darkness, decoration, Dickens, Downtown, easy-to-make, exposition, father, Fayetteville, fireworks, gentleman, gingerbread, holiday, horse-drawn, house, lady, life, magic, market, market house, masterpiece, memory, merchant, musician, North Carolina, novel, old fashioned, parade, picture, procession, refreshment, shopper, spice, spirit, stroll, townspeople, transform, vendor, Victorian, village | Leave a comment

ME: Try Local Sodas at Pat’s Pizza

Posted on November 17, 2015 by sandra

Orono, ME Exit 191: Opened in 1931, and still churning out 700 pizzas a night, this 2nd generation family business (now with 19 locations) is famous in Maine, and this is their original location with its original Formica counters and slate foot rests.

Locals know to wash down the pizza with Pat’s own brand of sodas: strawberry, root beer, orange, grape, cream or Stan and Sandra’s favorite – raspberry Lime Rickey, or try the local Moxie brand, made in Maine.

The pizza itself is thin and soft with a light crust that melts in your mouth: The toppings are put on evenly so that there’s a taste in every bite. With 35 toppings like: specially made pepperoni, pine nuts, hotdog, kielbasa, zesty olives or eggplant, there is a pizza just for you. They even make gluten-free pizzas.

The Pat’s Combo is the most popular pizza with pepperoni, mushrooms, and Cotto salami on it.

There’s a counter with stools where you can slurp an ice cream soda, milkshake or float, and the Tap Room downstairs offers alcoholic beverages. Pat’s Pizza offers calzones, spaghetti and meatballs, sub sandwiches, wraps and a Maine favorite – red skin hot dogs too.

Location: 11 Mill Street, Orono, ME 04473
Hours: Mon-Fri 7am – 12am, Sat-Sun 7am – 1am
Tel: 207-866-2111
patspizzaorono.com/
For Regional Accommodations, Restaurants & Attractions: visitbangormaine.com

Posted in Drink, Food, Fun, Ice Cream, Maine | Tagged alcoholic, beverage, bite, brand, business, calzone, churn, counter, cream, crust, dandwich, eggplant, family, famous, float, foot, formica, generation, gluten-free, grape, hot dog, hotdog, ice cream, kielbasa, lime, local, location, Maine, meatball, melt, milkshake, mouth, moxie, mushroom, night, nut, olive, orange, original, Orono, pepperoni, pine, pine nuts, pizza, raspberry, red, rest, rickey, room, root beer, salami, skin, slate, soda, spaghetti, stool, strawberry, sub, tap, taste, topping, wraps | Leave a comment

NC: Get into the Christmas Spirit at the American Music Jubilee Christmas Show

Posted on November 16, 2015 by sandra

Selma, NC Exit 98: Each week the quiet streets of Selma, a quaint village with its numerous antique shops, take on the personality of a major entertainment destination. American Music Jubilee entertains visitors traveling on the I-95 with memorable, outstanding musical performances.

This holds especially true throughout the holiday season with a special Christmas Show starting November 6 and running through the week of Christmas with matinees and evening shows. The American Music Jubilee Christmas Show offers a nostalgic trip back in time, making sure to put you in the holiday spirit.

Sing along to classic favorites like “White Christmas” and “Silver Bells.” Enjoy gospel favorites, tap your toes to contemporary beat of hits like “Christmas in Dixie”. Cheerful melodies will give way to peals of laughter as humorous songs are blended with comedy routines to round out an evening of delightful entertainment.

Location: The Rudy Theatre, 300 N Raiford St, Selma, NC 27576
Check website for dates and show times
Tel: 919-202-9927
amjubilee.com
For Regional Accommodations, Restaurants & Attractions: www.visitselma.org
www.johnstoncountync.org

Posted in Entertainment, Fun, North Carolina, Special Event | Tagged American, antique, beat, bell, Christmas, Christmas in Dixie, class, comedy, contemporary, destination, dixie, entertainment, gorpel, holiday, I-95, jubilee, matinee, melody, music, musical, North Carolina, nostalgic, performance, routine, season, Selma, shop, show, silver, Silver Bells, sing, song, spirit, travel, trip, village, visitor, White Christmas | Leave a comment

CT: Magical Train Ride to the North Pole to Meet Santa and Mrs. Claus

Posted on November 11, 2015 by sandra

Essex, CT Exit 69: Board the locomotive-powered sleigh for a magical, 90 minute, Christmas themed nighttime journey to the North Pole.

Each coach is transformed to a child’s dream come true, featuring a stage for a live, musical performance of The Night Before Christmas. Dress your children in their PJ’s as they become part of the North Pole Express.

Traditional event highlights include a trip to the North Pole to celebrate the spirit of the season with Santa and Mrs. Claus. Children should keep an eye out for special sightings along the way, as there are some amazing track-side displays.

They will meet Santa and Mrs. Claus, get a special pre-Christmas gift, sing along to favorite carols, sip hot cocoa and munch on cookies.

If you’re looking for a new holiday tradition, or just want something fun to do with your kids to this year, the North Pole Express will be a real treat that you will enjoy as much as they will.

Location: Essex Steam Train, 1 Railroad Ave. Essex, CT 06426
Dates: Nov 12-15, 19-22, 27-29, Dec 1-6, 8-13, 15-23, 26-29
Hours: 5:00 pm / 5:30 pm / 7:00 pm / 7:30 pm
Tel: 860-767-0103
essexsteamtrain.com/special-events/north-pole-express/
For Regional Accommodations, Restaurants & Attractions:
www.essexct.com/
www.centerofct.com

Posted in Connecticut, Entertainment, Fun, Kids, Nature, Special Event | Tagged carol, child, children, chocolate, Christmas, coach, conneticut, cookies, dream, Essex, event, express, favorite, fun, gift, holiday, hot, journey, locomotive, musical, night, north, North Pole, pajama, performance, pole, powered, santa, season, sighting, sip, sleigh, spirit, stage, theme, tradition, traditional, train, treat, trip | Leave a comment

Everything Easy (and Inexpensive) Flying Allegiant Air

Posted on November 9, 2015 by sandra

Wouldn’t it be amazing to be able to flashback to calm and pleasant airline travel of the 1970’s? Well you can! We just drove from Montreal to tiny Plattsburgh Airport to take Allegiant Air to hot sunny Florida. Easily, we turned off the main road, and drove right up to the airport door. I stepped out with the luggage, and Stan just parked the car across the street.

There was NO line at the Allegiant Air desk and friendly helpful service, I was done in under two minutes. There was NO lineup at security. Since you already drove through the border, there was NO customs and immigration to deal with. In probably about 5 minutes we were going up the elevator to the waiting room.

The room had a retro counter with a man selling candy, snacks, sandwiches and drinks. When I asked him the prices, He said, “What do you want, they’re all in my head?”

There weren’t overhead screens to keep track of the flight. They send any changes to you to your cellphone – and call if necessary, too. The building is going through a renovation so things might be a bit more twenty-first century when you fly.

Those of you already planning your winter sunny getaways will be happy to know that Allegiant Air flying out of Plattsburgh offers low prices with just a short drive away for Montrealers who want a nonstop flight to sunshine. Just be advised that there are extra charges for luggage (even carry-on), choosing seats, and such things as printed boarding passes for you (you can do it at home for free).

Travelers who shop around will find substantial savings when flying with Allegiant, as well as good deals on hotels, rental cars and attractions. Montrealers wishing to spend their hard-earned dollars at their destination, rather than on transportation, can fly to sunny Las Vegas and Florida.

www.allegiantair.com

Posted in Canada, Florida, Montreal | Tagged 1970, air, airline, airport, Allegiant, attraction, board, border, building, calm, candy, car, carry-on, cellphone, century, change, counter, custom, deal, desk, destination, dollar, door, drink, drove, elevator, flashback, flight, Florida, fly, free, friendly, head, helpful, home, hotel, immigration, Las Vegas, line, luggage, man, Montreal, nonstop, park, passenger, plan, Plattsburgh, Pleasant, price, renovation, rental, retro, road, room, sandwich, saving, screen, seat, security, sell, service, shop, snack, spend, street, sunny, sunshine, track, transportation, travel, traveler, wait, winter | Leave a comment

FL: Play with Reptiles and Amphibians in West Palm Beach

Posted on November 9, 2015 by sandra

West Palm Beach, FL Exit 71: If you or your kids have a fascination with the slimy, slithery, or scaly, go see the spectacular reptiles and exotic pets at Repticon West Palm Beach Reptile & Exotic Animal Show.

If you’re in the market for a herpetological creature “Herps” or just like to observe, this is a great place to see plentiful varieties and buy all the supplies you’ll need. The event features knowledgeable vendors offering reptile pets, supplies, feeders, cages, and merchandise.

Don’t miss the seminars covering a broad range of animal topics, interact with live animals, presentations at the top of the hour, kids activities, and frequent free raffles for coveted prizes.

The event is entertaining, educational and offers family-oriented fun for everyone. Admission: Adults $10, Children (5-12) $5, Under 5 Free . Check website for special offers on 2-day and VIP tickets.

Location: The Box Expo Center, 2231 Palm Beach Lakes Blvd, West Palm Beach, FL 33409
Date: Sat Nov 21 – Sun Nov 22, 2015
Hours: Sat 10 – 5, Sun. 10 – 4
Tel: 863-268-4273
www.repticon.com/westpalm.html

Posted in Entertainment, Florida, Fun, Pets, Special Event | Tagged actvity, animal, beach, cage, creature, educational, entertain, exotic, family, family-oriented, feeder, Florida, fun, interact, kids, live, market, merchandise, palm, pet, presentation, prize, raffle, Repticon, reptile, seminar, show, supply, topic, variety, vendor, west | Leave a comment

ME: Maine Harvest Festival Celebrating Farm Fresh

Posted on November 4, 2015 by sandra

Bangor, ME Exit 182A: Celebrating it’s 5th year, this 2-day event brings together over 150 state of Maine growers, acclaimed local chefs, bakers, cheese artisans, vintners and brewers and fiber artisans showcasing their specialties at the Maine Harvest Festival.

The festivities include renowned Maine chefs and bakers, authors, and presenters highlighting “local and fresh” cooking demonstrations, samplings, and educational presentations every hour throughout the festival. Live music, “Two Crusted” Apple Pie Contest, and an exclusive area for sampling Maine Wineries, Breweries and Distilleries.

With over 125 vendors, you can pick up some great Maine featured holiday gifts. Admission into the festival is $8/person. Children 12 and under are free.

Location: Cross Insurance Center, 515 Main St.,Bangor, ME 04401
Date: November 14 & 15, 2015
Hours: Sat & Sun 10am – 4pm
Tel: 207-570-4077
maineharvestfestival.com/

Posted in Arts and Crafts, Drink, Entertainment, Festival, Food, Fun, Kids, Maine, Special Event | Tagged apple, area, artisan, author, baker, Bangor, brewer, cheese, chef, contest, cooking, crust, demonstration, distillery, educational, exclusive, farm, festival, fiber, fresh, gift, growr, harvest, holiday, local, Maine, music, pie, presentation, presenter, sampling, specialty, vendor, vintner, winery | Leave a comment

NC: Take a Free Tour of a Cotton Gin at Cotton Festival

Posted on November 2, 2015 by sandra

Dunn, NC Exit 73 to US 421: 17th Annual Touchstone Energy NC Cotton Festival celebrates and brings recognition to one of North Carolina’s prime agricultural products, cotton.

Everything takes place in downtown Dunn. The event takes up more than 11 city blocks mainly on Broad Street, Wilson Avenue and Edgerton Street.

There’s something for the whole family with two stages of entertainment featuring a variety of music, dancing and karaoke, Dunn Shriner’s Car Show highlighting more than 125 classic cars, a petting zoo, Kiddie Land, a photo contest where images of cotton blooms, cotton production, and bouquets are judged, and more than 100 vendors offering commercial products, food and crafts.

November is peak season for cotton farmers and downtown Dunn was once known as the largest wagon cotton yard in the country. Take a free tour of a cotton gin and see cotton production from the cotton blossom to the big cotton bales.

Free admission into the festival. Rides, food and crafts have a charge. Shuttles are offered from the festival site to the gin and back every half hour.

Location: Downtown Dunn
Date: Sat. November 7, 2015
Hours: 10 – 4 pm
Tel: 910-892-3282
nccottonfestival.com/

Posted in Arts and Crafts, Entertainment, Festival, Food, Fun, History, Kids, Nature, North Carolina, Special Event | Tagged agriculture, bale, bloom, blossom, bouquet, car, classic, contest, cotton, country, craft, dance, Downtown, Dunn, energy, entertainment, event, family, farmer, Food, free, gin, image, judge, karaoke, kiddie, land, music, North Carolina, November, operate, peak, petting, photo, product, production, ride, season, show, shriner, shuttle, stage, tour, vendor, wagon, yard, Zoo | Leave a comment

FL: Boat Show Features Everything from Canoes to Super Yachts

Posted on October 28, 2015 by sandra

Fort Lauderdale, FL Exit 25: The “Yachting Capital of the World” will host the 56th Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show on Nov 5- Nov 9, 2015.

Show exhibits range from yacht builders and designers to exotic cars and brokerage yachts. A wide variety of boats and sea vessels will be on display including runabouts, sportfishers, high performance boats, center consoles, cabin cruisers, flats boats, skiffs, express cruisers, sailing yachts, motor yachts, bowriders, catamarans, ski boats, jet boats, trawlers, inflatables, canoes, and extraordinary superyachts.

Covering seven locations and over 3 million sq ft of space, both on land and in water, the show’s transportation network of bus shuttles, water taxis, and riverboats ensures attendees can easily navigate the boat show and its expansive waterways system.

Show Locations:

Bahia Mar Yachting Center: 801 Seabreeze Boulevard, 33316

Hall of Fame Marina: 1 Hall of Fame Drive, 33316

Las Olas Marina: 240 E. Las Olas Circle, 33316

Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center:
1950 Eisenhower Blvd., 33316

The Sails Marina: 2150 SE 17th Street,Ft Lauderdale, FL 33316

Pier 66 Marina: 2301 SE 17th St, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316

Fort Lauderdale Hilton: 1881 SE 17th Street, 33316

Location: Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center, 1950 Eisenhower Blvd., Fort Lauderdale 33316
Date: November 5-9, 2015
Hours: Fri-Sun 10 – 7pm, Mon 10 – 5pm
Tel: 954-764-7642
showmanagement.com/fort_lauderdale/event/

Posted in Florida, Nature, Special Event | Tagged attendee, boat, bowrider, brokerage, builder, bus, cabin, canoe, capital, car, catamaran, Center, console, cruiser, designer, display, exhibit, exotic, express, flat, Florida, Fort Lauderdale, high, host, inflatable, international, jet, land, location, motor, navigate, network, performance, range, riverboat, runabouts, sailing, sea, show, shuttle, ski, skiff, sportfishers, superyacht, system, taxi, transportation, trawler, variety, vessel, water, waterway, world, yavht | Leave a comment

DROG – Our Driving Blog

NC: Join Scrooge, Tiny Tim and Marley in A Christmas Carol in the Streets

ME: Try Local Sodas at Pat’s Pizza

NC: Get into the Christmas Spirit at the American Music Jubilee Christmas Show

CT: Magical Train Ride to the North Pole to Meet Santa and Mrs. Claus

Everything Easy (and Inexpensive) Flying Allegiant Air

FL: Play with Reptiles and Amphibians in West Palm Beach

ME: Maine Harvest Festival Celebrating Farm Fresh

NC: Take a Free Tour of a Cotton Gin at Cotton Festival

FL: Boat Show Features Everything from Canoes to Super Yachts

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