SI Sojourns

08/20/2024

We’ve made a sweet discovery and we’re excited to share it with our friends! Located on Tower Square in Marion, Milkwood Provisions is totally unique! It’s a great place to choose from a wide selection of wines and sit, sip and visit with friends in a lovely setting. If wine isn’t your thing, you might order one of Kara’s elegant charcuterie boards and pair it with another beverage. Looking for a gift? There are so many tasteful and totally unique options! We’re in love with this place! You need to check this place out!

06/30/2024

We encourage you to spend a relaxing summer afternoon at Southern Illinois’s newest winery! In truth, it’s not really new, but it really feels like it! Clad & Cordon Winery is located on the old Bella Terra Winery property in Creal Springs. The tasting room has been beautifully restored and reappointed! The vistas from every vantage point are stunning! The new owners are charming and their wines are excellent!! We attended their Wine Release Party yesterday and were delighted with the flavor and complexity of their wines! Family owned and operated (CLAD represents the initials of the siblings), Clad & Cordon is absolutely worth a visit! Once you discover this beautiful spot, it will quickly become an SI favorite! Guaranteed!

&cordonvineyard

06/29/2024

Enjoying the release party at & Cordon Vineyard in Creal Springs. Very good wines and free burgers. Can’t go wrong there.

01/17/2024

As dedicated travel enthusiasts, we’re very excited to introduce you to a brand new travel site hosted by our personal travel guru! Mara taught us everything we know about traveling well on a shoestring! Now Mara and her daughter Joy are ready to share their many travel tips with all of you!! Check out Savvy Travel Mamas! You’ll be glad you did! ✈️

✨Savvy Points/Miles OG & Lodging Pro
🌎Mother-Daughter Team Exploring the World ✈️

01/15/2024

One of my favorite features of the When Pigs Fly BBQ Bash is the competition among teams from the local fire department, sheriffs department and nurses raising funds for their various agencies! Good food for a good cause!

01/15/2024

It was cold outside on Saturday, but inside the Show Me Center it was smokin’! The air was heavy with the mouthwatering aroma of great barbecue! Teams of professional and amateur BBQ enthusiasts shared samples of their competition worthy cuisine! Awesome! This is an annual event so mark your calendar for the 2025 event!

04/29/2023

Groovin’ to the music at Silver Fork Winery, Morganton, NC!

04/29/2023

You just never know where your travels will
Lead you! We happened across this awesome winery on our way to Winston Salem, NC. Silver Silver Fork Winery in Morganton, NC has great wine, beautiful setting and awesome music! I may never go home!!

02/28/2023

Great place for lunch or dinner! New Kahala Chinese Cuisine located at 600 E. Grand Ave. in Carbondale is excellent! Fabulous selection of entrees that are absolutely delicious! Check it out!

01/25/2023

If you’re looking for something fun and different to warm up a winter evening, check out The Igloo at The Boardroom in Nashville!! We rented the Igloo for two hours on Saturday night and had a blast! We chose two of their delicious charcuterie boards and ordered our drinks from the bar! It was cozy and warm! Check it out!

09/09/2022

Trying a pizza place that’s new to us on The Hill in STL! Anthonino’s Taverna makes a great pizza! Crust is flavorful and crispy! Fabulous! Check it out!

09/08/2022

09/08/2022

Each dish featured at the six-course dinner served at the Wine Maker’s Dinner at Fork and Vine Restaurant last night was prepared, presented and perfectly paired with one of the exceptional wines of Feather Hills Vineyard and Winery. Kudos to Wine Maker Randall Feather and Chef Meagan Finnerty!

09/08/2022

The Wine Maker’s Dinner at Fork and Vine Restaurant was a triumph! Featuring the vintages of Winemaker Randall Feather and debuting the original cuisine of Chef Meagan Finnerty, each course was a feast for both the palate and the eyes! If you have never visited Fork and Vine, put it on your weekend agenda! You won’t be disappointed!

05/30/2022

St. Nicholas MDH at the Southern Illinois Airport is a truly unique dining experience! Whether you choose the indoor or outdoor dining option, you’ll be treated to a high flying view! BTW, the food is really great, too!

04/04/2022

04/01/2022

So happy that twelve Oaks Vineyard opening day has finally arrived! No truer sign of spring! Looking forward to familiar faces and new vintages! Cheers to the 2022 season!!

11/01/2021

Congratulations, Winemaker of the Year! The awards just keep on coming! Cheers to your success! 🍷

11/01/2021

Congratulations to Doug Palm and Twelve Oaks Vineyards on receiving two prestigious awards for their excellent wines!

11/01/2021

Some of our favorite people: the family behind the the great wines at Twelve Oaks Vineyard!!

11/01/2021

At Twelve Oaks Vineyard, located just outside of Carlyle, winemaking and operating the tasting room is a family affair! Great job and congratulations to Doug, Jodi and the rest of the Twelve Oaks gang!

11/01/2021

It’s so great when Southern Illinois wines earn recognition for quality and excellence! Congratulations to Illinois’s Winemaker of the Year Doug Palm and Twelve Oaks Vineyard!

11/01/2021

Today was a very special day at Twelve Oaks Vineyard, one of our favorite SI wineries. Owner Doug Palm was awarded The Governor’s Cup plus the Top Award at the Illinois State Fair in the White Wine category. Congratulations Doug!

10/16/2021

It’s a beautiful fall day on the Shawnee Wine Trail!

Wichmann Vineyard has become one of our favorite stops on the Shawnee Wine Trail. Today we’re enjoying Veraison. So good! Ted taught his daughter well the intricacies of making wine!

10/16/2021

Wichmann Vineyard has become one of our favorite stops on the Shawnee Wine Trail. Today we’re enjoying Veraison. So good! Ted taught his daughter well the intricacies of making wine!

10/14/2021

It’s a lovely evening to be downtown in Paducah. So quaint! Dining al fresco at Max’s Brick Oven Cafe has been on our someday list for some time. Mission accomplished and worth the wait. Now on to the 38 Special concert at Carson Center.

09/05/2021

What a wonderful evening shared with great friends, Ron and Maggie. It doesn’t get any better than this! 😎