Travelsmartplanet

These are North Indian hot (both ways) appetizers served up in an adorable cart. I love it when you eat in a restaurant where you wind up with a collage of ethnic flavors which highlight Canada as a wonderful kaleidoscope of people. The butter chicken poutine says it all – east meets west in Sault Ste. Marie at Rasoi. In Hindi that name means kitchen, and the northern Indian fare here comes straight from home traditions.
https://www.rasoiindiankitchen.ca/

Some men are driven by a need for fame. Some men seek glory. Buz has always sought out the perfect barbecue. Not that par-boiled, mass-produced, liquid-smoke injected kind, either. Nothing but real barbecue will do.

It took a NYC guy to literally work his way thru kitchens in BBQ havens in Texas, Kansas City, Memphis and Lexington KY, and then merge all that expertise with Ned’s 150- year old family recipe to perfect the art of the pit and his own scrumptious BBQ.

For the past 25 years, his ribs (baby back, spare or beef) have been a hit, there’s hearty Brunswick stew (chock full of corn, string beans, carrots, and potatoes), killer chili, Sandra’s favorite: beef brisket, and you-could-eat-alone sides of chunky smokey baked beans, cukes & onions, sweet potato fries and, of course, hush puppies. Wash ‘em down with root beer and Cheerwine.

On the last Monday of every month Buz and Ned’s is featuring Pig Pickin’ Mondays  at their 8205 West Broad St. location only. The traditional, down-home, country PIG PICKIN’ starts at 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. (or earlier , ’til they run out of pig). It’s a first-come, first-serve, all-you-can-eat meal featuring an amazing 100% wood barbecued whole pig cooked slowly using only freshly-cut hickory log, served with Buz and Ned’s barbecue sauce on the side. The buffet will also include: hush puppies, freshly shredded cole slaw, sandwich rolls, three bean baked beans, sour cream red skinned potato salad and freshly-brewed iced tea.

With a whole-hog knowledge of ‘cue, meat-eaters will agree that Buz and Ned’s Real Barbecue is a Southern authority on smoke. Go on in and eat like a local.

Boulevard Location: 1119 North Blvd., Richmond, VA 23230 (Directions)
Hours: Sun-Thurs: 11am-9pm · Fri-Sat: 11am-10pm
Tel: 804-355-6055
West Broad Street Location: 8205 W. Broad St., Richmond, VA 23294 (Directions)
Hours: Sun-Thurs: 11am-10pm · Fri-Sat: 11am-11pm
Tel: 804-346-4227
buzandneds.com
For Regional Accommodations, Restaurants & Attractions: visitrichmondva.com

The Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden is an oasis on a driving trip – 82 magnificent acres which started life as Powhatanhuntinggrounds and was at one time owned by patriot Patrick Henry.

In 1884, Lewis Ginter, who was orphaned at 17 and later became a millionaire from tobacco and real estate, developed a Wheel Club House here for Richmond bicyclists (now Bloemendaal House). His niece, Grace Arents, developed the gardens, and her original design is still here.

There are more kinds of gardens than we ever knew existed: four seasons, healing, Asian, rose, wetland, azalea and a community kitchen one where they grow food for the hungry. The children’s garden offers up a tree house and an activity center; there’s sidewalk chalk, hula hooping, digging and watering opportunities.  They love the Kids Quest treasure hunt. For walkers, there’s a “walk on the wild side” and a bird trail, and as if all that wasn’t enough, there’s a lush indoor conservatory with exotic plants from around the world.

Featured Events:

A Million Blooms

Location: Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, 1800 Lakeside Ave, Richmond, VA 23228
Hours: Daily 9am – 5pm
Tel: 804-262-9887
lewisginter.org
For Regional Accommodations, Restaurants & Attractions: visitrichmondva.com

At Domaine Summum in Quebec, they believe that your furry best friends should be free, to be able to enjoy life with you. So they can  run, bark, romp and roll throughout their hiking trails, and jump, splash and swim in their private lake.

Besides the pristine  lake. there’s 200 acres of forest, with trails everywhere. Chalets are spotlessly clean and are well-equipped with a complete kitchen, grill, and a fire pit. You can order delicious frozen ready homemade meals prepared by their “Top Chef”.

The chalets are near Mont Tremblant Village and St-Jovite so that adds options for dining, hiking, golf, mountain biking and any number of other activities.

The owners love dogs (they are breeders of Bernese Mountain dogs) and understand what you need to have a great vacation with your pet running and barking, leash-free!

– No size restriction
– No breed restriction
– No extra fee for 2 dogs
– Pets can be left alone in the room ( without having to be in a crate )
– On site SPAWS (B&B for dogs)
– Special A La Bark menu for your pet
– On site Tail Waggin’ Day Camp

www.domainesummum.com

You only get the services of a concierge if you stay at upscale properties. What sets the W Hotel Scottsdale (London, Barcelona, Hollywood, CA) apart is that they also have an “insider”. If you want to get into the coolest club or can’t get a reservation at Elements, or tickets for the Giants, or into a designer’s workshop, this woman knows everyone who knows everyone and makes it happen.

Unusual too, for W hotels, this one has a floor with 2-bedroom apartments for longer stays. In these extreme WOW suites, there’s a kitchen and laundry, 2  1/2 bathrooms and a 239 sq’ deck with views of Camelback Mountain.

W Scottsdale
7277 East Camelback Road,
Scottsdale, AZ, 85251 USA
Tel: 480-970-2100
www.whotels.com

The Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens will clear your head from the buzz of I-95.  You have to walk slowly, deliberately, in order to appreciate the sculpture of leaves, bushes, flowers and branches which are painstakingly maintained. In 200 acres, you will walk Roji-en, through the centuries: Shinden Garden (9th-12th), Paradise Garden (13th &14th), Early Rock garden (14th), Lake Rock Garden (15th), Flat Garden (16 th &17th) and the  Modern Romantic Garden (19th-20th) as well as thru towering bamboo, waterfalls and bonsai, of course.

There are exhibition rooms on art, history, and Japanese culture and you might be able to enjoy a tea ceremony if you arrive at the right time.

The gardens were donated by George Sukeji Morikami of the the Yamato colony, an early 20th century Japanese farming settlement in Florida. In the original building, you can learn about the colony and see Japan Through the Eyes of a Child: school supplies, kitchen, bullet train and a bathroom toilet which washes your butt.

The gift shop sells tea sets, origami, abacus, calligraphy brushes, chopstick rests, kimonos and cool Piperoid Robography. You can dine gloriously in the Cornell Cafe and Tea House with its pan-Asian food overlooking gardens.

4000 Morikami Park Rd, Delray Beach
Hours:  T-Sun 10-5
IconT 561-495-0233
www.morikami.org