Obama beer, when you're having more than 1

When Jimmy Carter occupied the White House, his n'er-do-well brother, Billy, took advantage of his nearness to greatness to come up with his own beverage, a little something called "Billy Beer."

With Barack Hussein Obama getting close to snaring the Democratic Party nod to make the same leap as Jimmy Carter, a Brooklyn brewery is using his nearness to greatness to peddle "Hop Obama" ale in both New York and Massachusetts.

Sixpoint Craft Ales has just begun distributing the limited-edition beer. The 30-keg supply is estimated to be large enough to last only through the rest of the Democratic primary activities, which run through April 22.

Sixpoint brewmaster Shane Welch said that, in keeping with the Illinois senator's unifying theme, the "Hop Obama" is an indefinable ale that doesn't adhere to traditional style guidelines. The 5.2% ABV creation contains five different kinds of European crystal malt and three different kinds of Pacific Northwest Hops. It also includes a Scottish yeast strain for fermentation.

"Although we do not intend this beer to be a direct Sixpoint endorsement of Obama," Welch said, "we believe the delicious and refreshing quality it represents reminds us of the senator's successful grassroots campaign that positively blossoms each and every day."

The Brooklyn brew no doubt will be merely a tiny footnote in brewing and political history -- unless, of course, Obama becomes president and Sixpoint continues making the brew.

Billy Carter became a tiny footnote when his beer venture went bust, he had to sell his house to pay off back taxes, and he went public with his alcoholism before dying of pancreatic cancer in 1988 at the age of 51.

Meanwhile, in Kenya, the ancestral land of Obama's father, sales and consumption of something called "Senator" beer are hitting records.

The brew, named for Obama after his visit to the African nation and his success in a string of U.S. primaries, is being downed at victory parties and in taverns all across the land.

Here's a CNN report on the African "Senator" beer phenomenon:

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What of Obama opponent Hilary Rodham Clinton when it comes to alcoholic products? More of a sweet tooth thing, as I reported on this site a year ago.

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ON THE WEB
• Ministry of Tourism & Wildlife/Kenya
• Impact of violence on Kenya tourism (video)
• Dowd's Guides

'Bama beer battle hits legislature

In most states there is no restriction on the types of beers consumers can enjoy. "Most" being the key word.

In Alabama, for example, it is illegal to drink beer containing more than 6% alcohol. Violators face a $1,000 fine and up to a year in jail.

However, a bill in the state legislature would more than double the allowable alcohol content in beer. And legislators were recently treated to a beer tasting in Montgomery that offered numerous foreign and domestic beers well above the alcohol limit.

Stuart Carter, a Scotsman who heads a beer advocacy group called Free the Hops, says: "To people in Alabama it looks like there's a huge range of beers in the store already. They're saying, 'Wow, there's 300 beers.' From my perspective, being someone who came into Alabama more recently, I see 300 beers and think, 'Where's the beer?' "

National Public Radio has an interesting report on the topic. Go here to access it.

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ON THE WEB
• Alabama Breweries
• Dowd's Guides

Colorado repeals Sunday spirits ban

Colorado has become the 35th state to repeal its ban on Sunday spirits sale. Thirteen states, counting the imminent Colorado change, have passed Sunday sales laws since 2002.

A bill co-authored by Sen. Jennifer Veiga and Rep. Cheri Jahn passed the Senate Thursday by a 24-9 vote. It now moves to the desk of Gov. Bill Ritter for final signature. If he approves it, the bill becomes law on July 1.

"This is a terrific victory for the benefit of consumer convenience, market modernization and free enterprise," said Peter Cressy, president of the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS).

He noted that this year marks the 75th anniversary of national Prohibition repeal that left behind it a ban on Sunday sales under so-called "Blue Laws" based on religious preferences for banning sales on the traditional day of worship.

A recent economic analysis shows that year-round Sunday sales of distilled spirits in Colorado alone would lead to an estimated retailer revenue impact range of $23 to $32 million and between $1.8 and $2.6 million for the state in additional sales tax revenue.

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ON THE WEB
• Colorado Taverns and Bars
• Dowd's Guides

Everyone in Waco is a Pepper this weekend

Waco, TX, is the gathering point for fans and collectors of all things Dr Pepper this weekend.

The nation's oldest major soft drink company, founded in 1885 when the soft drink was invented at a Waco drugstore, is being celebrated at the Waco Convention Center during the 24th annual convention.

Dr Pepper collectors are in town to show off their favorite Pepper memorabilia at the soft drink's 24th annual convention.

According to the Dr Pepper Museum, the drink was first offered to the public at Morrison's Old Corner Drug Store. Charles Alderton, a young pharmacist working at Morrison's, is believed to be the inventor of the now-famous drink.

"Alderton spent most of his time mixing up medicine for the people of Waco," the museum says, "but in his spare time he liked to serve carbonated drinks at the soda fountain. He liked the way the drug store smelled, with all of the fruit syrup flavor smells mixing together in the air. He decided to to create a drink that tasted like that smell. He kept a journal, and after numerous experiments he finally hit upon a mixture of fruit syrups that he liked.

"To test his new drink, he first offered it to store owner Morrison, who also found it to his liking. After repeated sample testing by the two, Alderton was ready to offer his new drink to some of the fountain customers. They liked it as well. Other patrons at Morrison's soda fountain soon learned of Alderton's new drink and began ordering it by asking him to shoot them a 'Waco.'

"Morrison is credited with naming the drink Dr. Pepper (the period in Dr. was dropped in the 1950s). Unfortunately, the origin for the name is unclear."

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ON THE WEB
• Waco Tourism Information
• Dr. Pepper Museum
• Dowd's Guides

Huge coffee cafe debuts in Paris

The world’s largest Nespresso boutique has joined the Champs-Elysées, Paris's famous and historic boulevard.

Actress Sharon Stone presided over the unveiling of the 16,150 square foot bi-level establishment.

It boasts such elements as the Barista Bar, the Gallery of the Senses where temporary exhibitions take place, the Collection Gallery for limited edition series and accessories, the Dressing Room, an artsy space where clients can customize their machines, and the Lounge for relaxation with an electro-jazz atmosphere.

Nespresso is a division of Nestlé, concentrating on the high-end of the coffee market. Its products include patented coffee-capsule technology and the associated machinery, to coffee capsules.

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ON THE WEB
• The Champs-Elysées
• Dowd's Guides

In NY, the drinks are on Eliot

It didn't take long for the well-known humorous spirit of Brooklyn to emerge in the Spitzer scandal.

In anticipation of the resignation of Gov. Eliot Spitzer in the midst of a prostitution case, Teddy's, a longtime popular watering hole, began offering Spitzer-related drink specials such as the "Spitzer Spritzer" and the "Hypocrite's Delight."

Now that the governor has announced he'll step down on Monday, the bar is continuing the special offerings. If you're in the city and want to check out Teddy's, it is located at 96 Berry Street, between 8th and 9th streets, in Brooklyn's Williamsburg section.

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ON THE WEB
• Dowd's Guides

Peekaboo technology to scan travelers

From the BBC:

A camera that can "see" explosives, drugs and weapons hidden under clothing from 25 meters has been invented.

The ThruVision system could be deployed at airports, railway stations or other public spaces.

It is based on so-called "terahertz," or T-ray, technology, normally used by astronomers to study dying stars. Although it is able to see through clothes it does not reveal "body detail" or subject people to "harmful radiation," according to the designers.

"It is totally and utterly passive. It receives only," said a spokesperson for Thruvision.

The portable camera, which has already been sold to the Dubai Mercantile Exchange and Canary Wharf in London, will be shown off at the Home Office scientific development branch's annual exhibition later this week.

Go here for the complete story.

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ON THE WEB
• Homeland Security Travel Safety & Procedures
• Dowd's Guides

Taking 'hospital food' to a new level

Can't wait to dig into a plate of hospital food?

If you're on Taiwan, lucky you. The D.S Music Restaurant in the island nation's capital city of Tapiei has put together a medical them for its restaurant and bar.

Customers are seated around a hospital bed as drinks drip into their glasses from a IV-style container hanging from the ceiling.

This isn't the only such place in Asia. At a bar in Shenzhen, China, staffers dressed as nurses provide drinks from syringes and test tubes.

Mmmm, mmm.

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ON THE WEB
• CIA Factbook: Taiwan
• Shenzhen Travel Guide
• Dowd's Guides

Brit pubs on endangered list

The iconic image of pubs as a part of England that will always endure is in trouble.

The number of pub closings last year hit a rate 14 times higher than the prior year, according to a new report just released by the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA).

The BBPA says 1,409 pubs closed in 2007, a rate of 27 per week.

The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has published its own survey showing a slightly slower pace -- 57 a month -- but notes that 31% of those closed are being demolished, 36% are converted to shops, cafes and restaurants and 33% are converted to some other use, mostly residential.

It is this changeover that is concerning people who want to preserve the country's pub structure. CAMRA is pushing for changes to planning laws to prevent pub demolitions and change of use without planning permission.

So, what is causing the phenomenon?

BBPA Chief Executive Rob Hayward said he blames rising costs, falling sales and the impact of the smoking ban.

“These figures show the reality of the pub trade today," he said, "in contrast to the hype surrounding the myth of '24 hour drinking'."

BBPA statistics say beer sales in pubs are at their lowest level since the Depression in the 1930s. Today's pubs are selling 14 million fewer pints a day than they did when sales were at their peak in 1979.

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ON THE WEB
• The British Pub Guide
• UK Good Food & Ale
• Dowd's Guides

When my baby smiles at me I go to Rio

If you weren't in Rio de Janiero for the recent Brazilian Underwear Day, here's some of what you missed:

When is a pint not a pint?

If you've ever traveled in the United Kingdom and wondered whether the pint drawn for you at one pub was a different sized "pint" than at another, you're not alone.

Paul Rowen, a member of Parliament (MP) from Rochdale, is demanding pubs serve full pints of beer and stop shortchanging customers. In fact, he has signed a Parliamentary motion expressing concern that bar staff are legally permitted to sell a glass containing as little as 95% liquid as a full pint.

The motion, signed by more than 40 MPs, supports a drive by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) to push the government to legislate for a pint to be defined as 100% liquid.

CAMRA estimates short pours cost consumers more than $2 million US on a daily basis.

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ON THE WEB
• CAMRA: Campaign for Real Ale
• Dowd's Guides

Of all the gin joints in all the world ...

Photo courtesy of the "new" Rick's

Much of the world is intimately familiar with Rick's Cafe Americain, the site of most of the action in the 1942 film classic "Casablanca."

In fact, some are so smitten with the film they feel as if they've been to Rick's. Not possible, of course, since it was merely a movie set on a Hollywood back lot.

However, Kathy Kriger, a 61-year-old former U.S. diplomat, took care of that the last time Leap Year Day rolled around.

She captured the ambience of the film and has turned a 1930s seaside mansion into a landmark in the exotic Moroccan city, giving it the look and atmosphere of the film. She marked the fourth anniversary of the "re-opening" of Rick's this Feb. 29.

Check out a Reuters feature story on the enterprise here, or go right to Rick's Web site here.

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ON THE WEB
• The Marvels of Casablanca
• Lonely Planet Guide to Morocco
• Dowd's Guides

Well, if you have to be stranded ...

From the DailyRecord.com.uk

• Islanders had just caviar and whisky to live on after their supply ship was cut off for a week by storms

The 125 residents on Colonsay in the Inner Hebrides are completely dependent on the mainland for all their food. They're used to keeping plenty of dry and powdered goods stored away for rough weather, but milk and fresh produce can run out after just a few days.

Last week, after a bout of stormy weather, the island missed two vital deliveries, leaving the only shop with just a few jars of caviar and bottles of whisky on the shelves.

Shopkeeper Mike McNicholl said: "When you miss one boat, you have a run on supplies but it's not normally too bad. Once we miss two, however, we're really in trouble."

Islanders were left fighting over the last of the rations before a ship managed to make the journey across with much-needed supplies on Wednesday night.

Mike added: "We have a perfect, idyllic lifestyle -- apart from when we don't get the boat and we don't have anything to eat."

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ON THE WEB
• Inner Hebrides
• Visitor's Introduction to Colonsay
• Dowd's Guides

Latest burger is the king, by 11 lbs.

Not quite a year ago, a Clearfield, PA, restaurant topped the previous world hamburger record by coming up with one that was 18 pounds heavier.

Now, a Michigan spot has topped that burger by 11 pounds and given it an appropriate name: the “Absolutely Ridiculous Burger.”

The new burger king comes from Mallie's Sports Bar in Detroit's Southgate area. It's 134 pounds, comes on a 50-pound bun, is topped with bacon and cheese, takes 12 hours to make -- after giving 24-hour notice -- and goes for $350. No word at this point on what beverage the establishment will recommend to help wash down the monster.

It will take some time before the Guinness Book of World Records, arbitor of all such ludicrous but oddly fascinating claims, verifies the burger project. Meanwhile, pub owner Steve Mallie, 39, says he's confident that accolade will easily come through.

The 2 1/2-year-old pub's menu notes, "There is ABSOLUTELY no reason for this burger but if you order it, we'll make it, and you figure out what to do with it!"

The man who makes the whopper, which was four months in the planning, is chef Arthur Laramie. In an interview with The Detroit News, he said, "The record kept changing on us and getting higher, so we figured lets just shoot for the moon and blow the record away. This one is going to be hard to beat."

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ON THE WEB
• Detroit hamburger restaurants
• Active Diner in Detroit
• Dowd's Guides

Spain opens another bullet train link

From the BBC and the Times of London:

Spain's first high-speed rail link between Madrid and Barcelona became operational Wednesday, after years of delay.

Hitting speeds of 186 mph, the first AVE train took 2 hours, 35 minutes to cover the 342 miles to Madrid.

A total of 17 trains, each expected to carry some 200 people, will now be operating daily between the two cities. The train takes passengers right into the heart of Madrid.

The burgeoning high-speed system will be linked to the French TGV network at Perpignan in 2012, theoretically making it possible to travel by high-speed train from London to the Costa del Sol.

The high-speed line is the third to open in Spain in the past two months. AVE trains now transport passengers from Madrid to Málaga in 2 hours, 30 minutes, and from Madrid to Valladolid in 55 minutes. Until it opened in December, the latter route took nearly three hours.

Almost unnoticed by the outside world, Spain has engaged in a frenzy of high-speed rail building in recent years and is fast catching up with the world leaders, France and Japan. By 2010, the government claims, Spain will have the most extensive high-speed rail network in the world.

“We have the largest amount of high-speed rail under construction, with five times more than the next country, Japan,” said MarÍa Teresa Fernández de la Vega, the deputy prime minister. “In just two years’ time, we’ll have the largest number of kilometers in operation.”

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ON THE WEB
• How to Travel Europe by Train
• Eurail Passes
• Timetables & Fares
• Dowd's Guides

Inaugural Wine Expo set for Big Apple

The New York Wine Expo, which its organizers say will be an annual event, debuts Friday, March 7, at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in Manhattan.

The three-day event, co-located with the International Restaurant & Foodservice Show of New York, is an exposition that will cater to both the general public and the trade. Visitors will be able to sample from among 600 different wines from more than 150 winemakers, as well as take in demonstrations, panel discussions and seminars.

For consumers, the event will be open from 7 to 10 p.m. Friday and 2 to 6 p.m. Saturday. Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. will be dedicated to the trade. Ticket prices change after Feb. 29. Full details are available on the Web site.

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ON THE WEB
• International Foodservice & Restaurant Show
• The Javits Center
• Dowd's Guides

NY brewery gets grant for 'green' project

Brewery Ommegang, located in the small Central New York town of Milford, has been awarded a $4,000 grant to help plan an environmentally responsible expansion project.

The money, awarded by the Southern Tier Regional Planning and Development Board and the local soil and water district, will be used to minimize the project's environmental impact. The expansion will incorporate a water-permeable parking lot and a sod, or "green'' roof to minimize runoff. The roof also will conserve energy, and an on-site power plant that uses brewing byproducts will help reduce the use of other fuels.

As I reported in earlier postings, the green movement is growing among breweries, such as in Oregon and Massachusetts.

The Ommegang microbrewery was opened in the fall of 1997 five miles south of Cooperstown, home of the Baseball Hall of Fame, and near Oneonta, home of the National Soccer Hall of Fame. Its architecture is based on traditional Belgian farmhouse architecture, and set on a former hop farm. The company brews five Belgian-style ales.

The facility is open to the public year-round, for daily tours and tastings. Hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Memorial Day to Labor Day, and noon to 5 p.m. otherwise.

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ON THE WEB
• Cooperstown Visitors Guide
• Baseball Hall of Fame
• National Soccer Hall of Fame
• Dowd's Guides

'World In a Teacup' at UC Berkeley

The growing popularity of a wide variety of teas makes the Hearst Museum's "World in a Teacup: Tracing the Global Journey of Tea" symposium and tasting especially appealing.

The event is scheduled for March 1 at the Bancroft Hotel in Berkeley, CA. A companion vendor event and exhibit talk will be across the street at UC Berkeley's Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology. A map of the event is available online.

"Experts will explore tea from its ancient origins in Asia to its spread to Britain, India and the rest of the world," say the event organizers, "as well as tea's contemporary production, preparation, retailing and role in popular culture.

"Seven vendors will offer samples of their wares after the symposium, and a curator will talk about the museum's tea exhibit that features sample bricks of tea, tea sets and information about tea's cross-cultural evolution and its ceremonies."

The program is part of an ongoing series of public events at the museum that examine the culture of food. Tickets ($18-20) include admission to the symposium and the vendor event.

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ON THE WEB
• City of Berkeley Official Web Site
• UC Berkeley home page
• U. of California Botanical Garden
• Berkeley Art Museum & Pacific Film Archive
• Dowd's Guides

Barista Championship set for Minneapolis

The title of the nation's top barista will be decided at the four-day U.S. Barista Championship scheduled for May 2-5 in Minneapolis.

The event is sponsored by the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA), the world's largest coffee trade association, and Krups, the title sponsor of the event and a leading manufacturer of premium home espresso and coffee machines.

During the competition, the nation’s best baristas come up with their own coffee concoctions. Challengers prepare and serve 12 orders -- four espressos, four cappuccinos and four original signature drinks of their own creation -- in a 15-minute timeframe. As they ready their coffee beverages, contestants engage the audience, explaining their actions and selections, while expertly working the competition’s official espresso machine, a three-group La Marzocco.

Last year, Heather Perry of the Coffee Klatch in San Dimas, CA, took the top spot and went on to represent the U.S. in the World Barista Championship in which she took second place. The world event is scheduled for Copenhagen, Denmark June 19-22.

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ON THE WEB
• Minneapolis Convention & Visitors Bureau
• Minneapolis Tourist Attractions
• Minneapolis Nightlife
• Mall of America
• Dowd's Guides

Where to stay in Vegas

If you're looking for neat, clean, simple lodging in Las Vegas, may we recommend the same place O.J. Simpson is presently staying?

I'm sure we would be treated the same way in similar circumstances, and at taxpayer expense!

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ON THE WEB
• Dowd's Guides

Drink calorie listing nears in NYC

Food calories have been getting most of the coverage in news about New York City's new regulation requiring chain restaurants to display calorie information. However, the rule includes cocktails, sodas and other beverages that appear on menus as well.

The law is scheduled to go into effect March 31, in place of a different version that was struck down last year by a judge.

However, the New York State Restaurant Association has filed a federal lawsuit challenging the latest regulation which would require restaurants with more than 15 outlets across the country to be in compliance.

Giving consumers information about the calories in what they're drinking can help them make better choices, Margo Wootan, director of nutrition policy at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, told Business Week.

"We've gotten to the point in our food culture where people expect to have a sweetened beverage with their meal," she said. "People end up drinking a lot more calories than they think."

An 8-ounce margarita on the rocks has 290 calories. That size is the equivalent of a cup, but in many restaurants, drinks come in much larger sizes.

"It's really a shock to see a drink is 500, 600 calories," Nonas said. "That's almost a third of what you should eat for the day."

New York City, which banned trans-fat-laden cooking oils from all restaurants last year, is the first U.S. city to enact a regulation requiring calories on menus.

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ON THE WEB
• Dowd's Guides

Pioneer Valley has Massachusetts spirit

“In the sleepy west of the woody east
is a valley full, full o’ pioneer.
We’re not just kids to say the least.
We got the ideas to us that’s dear”

When Charles (“Black Francis”) Thompson wrote the opening lyrics of “UMass” for his Boston rock band the Pixies, he succinctly captured the free spirit prevalent in the Pioneer Valley of Massachusetts.

At least the 1997 album “Death to the Pixies” captured that segment of free spirits at some of the region’s famous colleges: Amherst, Hampshire, Mount Holyoke, Smith, UMass Amherst, Springfield.

However, the Pioneer Valley -- which consists of Hampden, Hampshire and Franklin counties where the Connecticut River runs through – has a lot to offer visitors besides college campuses.

Despite its celebrated iconoclastic attitudes emenating from the schools, it honors its traditions in such places as Old Sturbridge Village and Historic Deerfield, recreations of early New England villages that can actually make your kids like history.

Overall, it is a region replete with art galleries, performance spaces, the Basketball Hall of Fame (shown above), the Big E exposition complex, the Six Flags New England amusement park, and bookstores. So many bookstores, in fact, that nearly a decade ago a New York Times story put collectors wise to the opportunities there:

“Our three-day visit was dedicated to browsing and buying amid the valley's rich and collegial network of bookshops and private dealers. More members of the Massachusetts and Rhode Island Antiquarian Booksellers (36) are to be found in this area than in bookish Greater Boston (25).”

What to see:

Old Sturbridge Village, Route 20, 1 Old Sturbridge Village Road, Sturbridge (800) 733-1830 -- This 200-acre layout is the largest outdoor history museum in the Northeast. It presents a look at a rural village of the 1790-1840 period, with more than 40 restored original buildings, including homes, a meeting house, sawmill, blacksmith shop and country store. Costumed “history interpreters” carry out the community’s daily activities and interact with visitors. Upcoming events include “School Vacation Week” activities (April 19-27) to help keep restless kids busy, “Muster Day” (May 17), a grand gathering of militia reenactors, complete with guns, fifes and drums.

Historic Deerfield, 80 Old Main St., Deerfield (413) 775-7214 -- 
The complex is situated on a 330-year-old, mile-long street. It includes 13 museum houses built between 1730 and 1850, and the Flynt Center of Early New England Life which displays more than 25,000 objects made or used in America between 1650 and 1850. Although the museum houses are closed in winter, many events are held. Among them, a winter lecture series, weekend hours for the Flynt Center of Early New England Life, and such activities as a “Colonial Chocolate Celebration” on Feb. 9 leading up to Valentine's Day, and a “1704 Colonial Encampment Weekend” on Feb., 29-March 2. Then, on March 1, is “Winter's End Tavern Night” at Hall Tavern
 when Colonial reenactors from throughout New England gather. It’s open to the public through advance reservations. Among upcoming events: “Dinner in a Country Village” and “Maple Days” in March and “Discovery Camp” and “School Vacation Week” in April.

Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, 1000 West Columbus Avenue, Springfield (877) 446-6752 -- This monument to basketball encompasses displays, artifacts and interactive sites celebrating all levels of the game invented at the Springfield YMCA in 1891 by Dr. James Naismith. The spherical Center Court atrium is organized around a full-sized basketball court where a multimedia program called “The Moment” is presented there.

Six Flags New England, Route 159, 1623 Main St., Agawam (413) 786-9300 -- This sprawling seasonal theme park, once known as Riverside: The Great Escape, runs the gamut from aquatic attractions to thrill rides to exhibitions to live entertainment. The amusement park is scheduled to open in April, and the water park, Hurricane Harbor, in May. A lot of its attractions are DC Comics-themed, including “Superman: Ride of Steel,” a roller-coaster that is 208 feet tall and drops 221 feet into a tunnel, reaching a top speed of 77 mph.

Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden, Springfield Museums, The Quadrangle, Springfield -- Theodor Seuss Geisel was born in Springfield, and many of his 44 illustrated books (“The Cat in the Hat,” “Green Eggs and Ham,” “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”) are celebrated in bronze sculptures by Lark Grey Dimond-Cates, Geisel's step-daughter.

Where to eat

In college towns, particularly those grouped in Hampden County, dining spots of all sorts are abundant. Likewise in the vicinity of the major tourist attractions. A few samples:

Union Station, 125A Pleasant St., Northampton (413) 586-5366 -- This former train station was designed and built in 1896 by noted architect H.H. Richardson (Albany City Hall) and became a restaurant, banquet and catering operation in 1999. It has four dining and drinking venues, including steak-and-seafood, Italian. The Tunnel Bar and The Deck.

Fitzwilly's, 23 Main St., Northampton (413) 586-8666 -- The is a historic pub style eatery, housed in a 19th-century Masonic hall with exposed brickwook and tin ceilings. It’s been a popular spot for more than 30 years, serving everything from sandwiches and salads to steaks and seafood.

Butterfly Chinese & Japanese Restaurant, 48 Russell St., Hadley (413) 585-8989 -- Local restaurant critics have said good things about this stylish new restaurant just across the Coolidge Bridge from Springfield. Full Japanese, Chinese and vegetarian menus, offered in cutting-edge décor.

Where to stay

A variety of Web sites offer a categorized collection (hotels, b&b’s, cabins, hostels, inns and campgrounds. of possibilities: Pioneer Valley Lodging, Valley Visitor.

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ON THE WEB
• Dowd's Guides

Andorra calling

THE CAPITAL CITY OF ANDORRA LA VELLA

This just in.

After hosting thousands upon thousands of visitors from all over the globe, my drinks Web site just got its first visitor from Andorra.

That may not mean anything to most people, but for someone like me who has had a lifelong fascination with maps, geography and tiny, out-of-the-way countries (see San Marino, Liechtenstein and Kiribati), a real-time connection with someone in Andorra is like striking gold.

I've visited a couple of tiny countries -- Luxembourg, located at the confluence of Belgium, France and Germany, and Antigua & Barbuda, an islands-nation in the Caribbean, for example -- but they're easily reached.

The Principality of Andorra is a bit more remote, tucked into a 174-square-mile pocket in the eastern Pyrenees mountains between France and Spain. Local legend says it was founded in A.D. 805 by Charlemagne the Great. The earliest document known that mentions Andorra is the act of consecration of the cathedral of Santa Maria of Urgell in 839.

Despite its location,10 million tourists manage to find Andorra each year. That must agree with the 72,000 locals since tourism provides 80% of the country's income and the population has the highest average life expectancy of any nation in the world (80 for men, 86 for women).

One of the biggest attractions is the large amount of area for skiing. This Sunday, for example, the main race of the Andorran Ski Championship will be held and thousands of fans will flock to the mountains for the event.

But that's the touristy stuff. When I visit a country I prefer to find something offbeat. In Andorra, that can be the bordas, the old traditional mountain homes. More than two dozen of them have been converted to public restaurants, most of which are known for a signature dish. Thus, a tour of the bordas is a gastronomic treat that comes highly recommended.

I'm making out my dining list right now. If I can just link up to my Web site visitor, I may even be able to get a personal tour.

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ON THE WEB
• About Andorra
• Lonely Planet's Andorra Overview
• CIA World Factbook: Andorra
• Dowd's Guides

America's most romantic inns selected

April L. Dowd photo

An establishment recently featured by TASTE FORTRAVEL has been named one of 2008's "Top 10 Most Romantic Inns of the Year" by American Historic Inns and iLoveInns.com.

The Reluctant Panther Inn in Manchester Village, VT, owned by Jerry and Liz Lavalley, is the latest incarnation of a historic inn that was razed by fire in October 2005, then rebuilt and expanded for a November 2006 re-opening. (See full story here.)

In September 2007, the Lavalleys were given the "Innkeeper of the Year Award" by the state of Vermont and in November 2007 they received a national award from Santé Magazine for their spirits and hospitality program.

Inns were selected to the Top 10 list for attributes including scenic settings, interior beauty and sense of place, hospitality and overall romantic mystique. There are more than 19,000 inns and bed and breakfasts nationwide.

The award and review process involved both staff from as well as industry experts and involved with inns, innkeepers and guests on the road, on the phone, on the web, and in debate among its staff and its travel writers.

According to American Historic Inns’ President Deborah Sakach, “We believe our efforts have produced a wonderfully unique selection of the country's best inns that give each guest the opportunity to experience the ultimate in romantic travel. All the inns we selected specialize in the gift of romance for you and the love of your life.”

The other establishments selected for the list:

Landrum, SC -- The Red Horse Inn
Lahhaina, HI -- Ho’oilo House
Valparaiso, IN -- Songbird Prairie Bed & Breakfast
Hannibal, MO -- Garth Woodside Mansion
Sharon, PA -- Buhl Mansion Guesthouse & Spa
Leavenworth, WA -- Run of the River,
Newport, RI -- Hydrangea House
McHenry, MD -- Lake Pointe Inn Bed & Breakfast
Juneau, AK -- Pearson’s Pond Luxury Inn & Adventure Spa

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ON THE WEB
• American Bed & Breakfast Association
• B&B Inns Online
• Romantic Inns & Hotels
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In search of a lost 'Love'

Dear Mr. Dowd:

While on a college trip to Greece in the early '70s, I purchased a liqueur on the island of Rhodes called "Love of Rhodes." It was supposedly made from 50 different flowers and or herbs and was a beautiful shade of violet.

I've done many Google searches and have not been able to locate any info on it. Can you help me? Thanks!

-- Christine VanUllen

Dear Christine:

It sounds as if you came across one commercial example of a Greek treat usually known by a French term -- Parfait Amour. It's a sweet, citrus-based liqueur infused with a variety of spices such as coriander and floral extracts, particularly from the Parma violet.

Most other Greek liqueurs such as ouzo and mistra tend to run to pale yellow, gold or light greenish colors.

While I can't guarantee the Parfait Amour is what you're seeking, it is available at many high-end spirits shops as well as online vendors.

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ON THE WEB
• Dodecanese Islands
• Historic timeline of Rhodes
• Rhodes Travel Guide
• Dowd's Guides

Dunkin' Donuts spreading out in China

If you're bound for Asia but concerned that you simply can't get your day going without your Dunkin' Donuts fix, relax.

The first DD, seen here, opened 12 months ago on Taiwan and 10 more shops were added in the ensuing 12 months. They're doing so well the company has decided to open 10 more on the island nation and 100 on mainland China.

In fact, the gang of 100 will be clustered in the sprawling city of Shanghai, population 20 million, and take 10 years or less to complete.

Franchise partner Mercuries & Associates of Taiwan has been given the franchise rights to Shanghai as well as two the mainland provinces of Jiangsu and Zhijiang, which abut Shanghai.

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ON THE WEB
• Lonely Planet Taiwan Guide
• Shanghai Travel Guide
• Dowd's Guides

Shawangunks: NY's 'unknown' mountains

The Shawangunks don't get the same level of public notice as other New York mountains such as the Adirondacks and the Catskills, but as mountain ranges go they offer a lot.

For some "The Gunks,'' as locals call them, are just a piece of the Catskills. Geologically speaking, however, they are the northernmost part of the Shawangunk Ridge that juts from northernmost New Jersey up through Orange, Sullivan and Ulster counties as far as Rosendale, just south of Kingston.

However you like to define them, The Gunks offer the year-round attractions of stunning topography, wineries, hamlets full of antique shops, cross-country skiing or snowshoeing trails, winter hiking in the Mohonk Preserve, historic sites, dining diversity, and other goodies tucked mostly into Ulster County on the west side of the Hudson River about 75 miles southwest of Albany.

Their sheer physical diversity attracts droves of outdoors enthusiasts, and it's a particularly family-friendly place where more than 100 miles of trails and carriage roads link the Mohonk Preserve with the adjacent Minnewaska State Park Preserve.

This time of year, the rock climbers take a hiatus from such attractions as the famous Trapps Cliffs from which those ambitious enough to scale them get a gorgeous view of the Walkill Valley. However, even in winter there are open trails to get you out into nature.

EVENTS, ATTRACTIONS

Huguenot Street Historic District, New Paltz: This National Historic Landmark neighborhood preserves what is believed to be the oldest continuously inhabited street in America with its original houses. The principle structures were built by Dutch immigrants in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. Each house today is presented in a different time period from the 18th through the mid-20th centuries. The neighborhood is open for public tours that begin at the DuBois Fort Visitor Center on Huguenot Street.

Harness Racing Hall of Fame, 240 Main St., Goshen, (845) 294-6330: Thoroughbred horse racing fans have their hall up in Saratoga Springs. Here, the trotters and pacers and their drivers are the royalty, enshrined along with more than 1,500 works of art, 1,000 pieces of such ephemera as tickets, programs and scrapbooks, 5,000 photographs, 300 jackets, caps and helmets, 50 sulkies and harness and 200 trophies.

Mohonk Preserve: Cross-country skiing and snowshoeing are the big attractions this time of year. The preserve has four suggested ski trails covering 1.7 miles (easy) to 7.3 miles (strenuous). It also has three snowshoeing trails, one of them 1.5 miles and the others 6 miles each.

Washington's Headquarters State Historic Site, Liberty and Washington streets, Newburgh, (845) 562-1195: Gen. George Washington used this stone farmhouse as his Continental Army headquarters from April 1782 to August 1783. In 1850 it became the first publicly operated historic site in the U.S.

Shawangunk Wine Trail: 10 wineries sprinkled throughout the area are part of an organized tourist trail. Among them is the Brotherhood Winery, the nation's oldest continuously operating winery.

DINING OUT

The range is from country "home cooking'' to New American cuisine, often with kitchen staff trained at the nearby Culinary Institute of America. A few examples:

In Kingston, the Armadillo Bar & Grill at 97 Abeel St., (845) 339-1550, offers good Southwestern and Mexican food "with a Nuevo Latino twist.'' Examples: grilled pork tenderloin with ancho chile/orange reduction and mango salsa; fragrant ropa vieja chicken stew.

In New Paltz, the Main Course restaurant, 232 Main St., (845) 255-2600, has a nice brunch menu from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Sunday mornings, offering such dishes as two styles of eggs Benedict (one with bacon, one with spinach and smoked salmon) and a breakfast pizza.

In Kerhonkson, Oscar Contemporary Country Cooking, 5945 Route 44/55, (845) 626-9838, is a comfort food haven serving such things as barbecued or braised ribs, a pierogi platter and prix fixe pasta dishes.

LODGING

Mohonk Mountain House, 1000 Mountain Rest Road, New Paltz, (845) 255-1000: This monument to woodcraft is a fascinating 265-room Victorian-style castle sprawling along Lake Mohonk. Built in 1869, it offers old-fashioned luxury, 85 miles of hiking trails, golf, tennis, boating, ice skating, horseback riding, children's programs and dining for both guests and mealtime visitors. It is part of Historic Hotels of America, a program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Single: $270 to $740. Double: $445 to $840. Rates include meals.

Wine Trail Associates: Connections to 30 B&B's, inns and chain hotels/motels as well as three campgrounds, all affiliated with the Shawangunk Wine Trail.

Really specializing in Asheville

The Thirsty Monk, a pub that will serve only Belgian or Belgian-style beers, has opened in Asheville, NC.

Owner Barry Bialik's pub, located at 50 Commerce Street in what had been Hookah Joe’s, is starting with 13 drafts and 130 or so bottled beers.

Bialik also is offering Belgian cheeses and chocolates and plans to add crepes to the possibilities.

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ON THE WEB
• Ahseville Events Guide
• Recreation facilities and programs
• Explore Asheville
• Dowd's Guides

New Massachusetts distillery producing

Massachusetts' "other cape" now has its own micro-distillery.

Ryan & Wood Distillers, located in Gloucester on Cape Ann north of Boston, is billing itself as “the North Shore’s first small-batch micro-distillery of premium and handcrafted spirits.”

Gloucester native Bob Ryan, 53, who has worked in the family fish processing business, and his nephew and partner David Wood, 37, a real estate attorney in nearby Manchester-by-the-Sea, have turned out their first batch of vodka and plan to add rum to their line.

The production centerpiece is a 600-liter Arnold Holstein still custom-made in Germany. The company is using three different grains as the basis for its vodka, which will be called Beauport Vodka. Beauport was one of the early names for the Gloucester area.

Beauport is expected to be on local store shelves in the next few weeks. Next up is Folly Cove Rum, targeted for next summer.

In an interview with the Gloucester Daily Times, Ryan said the idea came when he read an article on micro-distilleries.

“I was looking for a business you don’t find on every street corner," Ryan said, and Dave had worked for me before and I knew I could depend on him. Soon my wife, Kathy, was on board and we went online and began looking for equipment and providers.”

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ON THE WEB
• History and Art Mingle On Mass.'s 'Other Cape'
• Cape Ann Travel Guide
• Cape Ann Historical Museum
• Dowd's Guides

Start spreadin' the news

In a probably deserved knock at the New York City Tourism Office, the snarky but on-point Gawker.com Web site says:

City Rag has come across this video by the New York City Tourism Office for release outside of the area. New York City: Where The Only Black People We Have Are Old Jazz Musicians Who Play In Adorable Trios and Quartets!

Vineyard area won't be dry much longer

Aquinnah, MA, more commonly known as the Martha's Vineyard community of Gay Head despite its 1998 name change, has been known for more than a century as a tourist haven that allows no alcoholic beverages to be sold.

That should change now that Gov. Deval Patrick has signed a home rule petition submitted by town selectmen to grant beer and wine licenses to restaurants that seat 15 or more people. Unless a whole lot of people change their minds.

A 132-79 vote at the town meeting held in May supported the plan, and it then was passed by the state legislature. Now a required second vote will be held to put the new law into effect.

Only two establishments, the Outermost Inn and the Aquinnah Restaurant, are large enough to quality for the exemption.

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ON THE WEB
• Martha's Vineyard
• Aquinnah/Gay Head
• Dukes County, MA
• Dowd's Guides

DUMBO soars in Brooklyn

The Brooklyn industrial district known as DUMBO has been named New York's 90th historic district.

The Landmarks Preservation Commission this week voted unanimously to award the designation. In a press release, commission head Robert Tierney said:

"DUMBO was essential to Brooklyn’s rise as a major manufacturing center, and was home to some of America’s most important industrial firms that produced everything from ale and paper boxes to soap and steel wool. DUMBO’s distinctively designed buildings and sublime vistas survive to this day, and still define its character, even as it has evolved into a largely residential neighborhood.

" ... Almost all of the industrial buildings in the historic district date from between 1880 and 1920, a period of explosive growth of Brooklyn’s manufacturing sector. "

The district is bounded by John Street to the north, Bridge Street to the east, York Street to the south and Main Street to the west. If you're wondering what the acronym DUMBO stands for, it's "Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass."

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ON THE WEB
• DUMBO street scenes.
• Manhattan Bridge.
• Brooklyn neighborhoods list.
• All About Brooklyn.

Sleep with the fishes in 7-star digs

For years, William Shatner has been telling us the travel service he shills for can get us 3-star hotel accommodations for 1-star prices, sometimes 4-star rooms for 2-star dollars.

I wonder how much he can knock off the price of the world's latest -- and perhaps first -- 7-star hotel?

It's the Hydropolis Dubai, being promoted as one of the world's most extravagant tourist attractions and scheduled to open later this month inthe Arab emirate.

The sprawling, almost surreal facility is an underwater luxury hotel in the middle of desert land. Getting there is half the fun, and amazement factor.

The facility is divided into three section:

• The land station: This large building has a rolling, wavy roof. Visitors enter it to head toward the tunnel.

• The tunnel: 1,700 feet long, it and carries a train beneath both land and sea to the hotel. it is shaped like a collection of bubbles and curves designed to provide maximum resistance against sea water pressure as well as the typhoons known to occasionally hit the region. It features area two observation domes which allow views of the water and marine creatures.

• The hotel: The facility looks like a circular atoll, wirh a low barrier between it and the water. The main structures are designed to mimick natural forms with curving shell-like surfaces mimicking natural forms.

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ON THE WEB
• Underwater video of the project
• Dubai city guide
• All about Dubai
• Dubai International Airport
• Dowd's Guides

Many French hotels are shabby, and they stink

It's not just Americans who complain about the French. So do the French.

The Committee for Modernisation of the French Hotel Trade says 25% of French hotels are in a state of disrepair and 24% of customers complain of rude or incompetent service.

The most frequent customer complaint about hotel rooms is noise and lack of sound insulation, followed by unpleasant smells and poor hygiene, according to the report by the industry committee.

"One-quarter of classified French hotels are aging or dilapidated, and one-third is nearing the end of their span. Only one hotel in six is considered beyond reproach by customers,” the report stated.

The committee blamed falling profit margins, changing customer habits, badly-paid staff and conservative management for the poor state of the country's 18,000 officially-classified hotels, and called for their urgent overhaul.

It said 45% of hotel workers are paid only minimum wage. “As a result 24 per cent of hotel clients and 38 per cent of restaurant clients complain of the chronic incompetence of staff, or of a disagreeable or impersonal welcome,” the committee said.

As for management, “even if generalisations are unreasonable, the profession suffers from a nervous traditionalism and a deep-rooted conservatism. The trade has reproduced over generations the same patterns of behaviour, and the same mistakes,” the committee said.

According to the report, France has lost 1,500 hotels over the past decade. Because of new laws on fire safety and access for the handicapped, it is likely to lose a similar number in the next five years.

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ON THE WEB
• Hotels on France.com
• France Keys
• Lodging in France
• Dowd's Guides

Bright lights, big city

NEW YORK -- The lights came back to Broadway today.

A 19-day strike by unionized stagehands that took a chunk out of the local economy during what usually is the biggest tourist season ended with people lining up for theater tickets and others changing previously-wrecked travel plans.

New York City officials estimated the strike will have a negative $38 million impact on the city.

In addition to scuttling some show schedules, the strike caused postponement of scheduled openings. They have been rescheduled as follows:

• Aaron Sorkin's "The Farnsworth Invention" will open Dec. 3.
• Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre Company will debut "August: Osage County" Dec. 6. (Shown above)
• "The Seafarer" will open Dec, 6,
• The long-lost Mark Twain comedy "Is He dead?" will open Dec. 9.
• A revival of Harold Pinter's "The Homecoming," will premiere Dec. 16.
• Disney's "The Little Mermaid" will debut Jan. 10.

The stagehands and theater producers reached a tentative agreement on matters of wages and work rules.

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ON THE WEB
• The stagehands union
• League of American Theatres
• Broadway news updates
• Dowd's Guides

2, 4, 6, 8 who do we inebriate?

NEW YORK -- Leave it to a New York business to make money off labor unrest.

The Living Room Lounge at the glitzy W hotel in Times Square has created a new drink called a "Striketini" to mark the current labor strike that has shut down numerous Broadway shows.

"We are known for our martinis, so we wanted to make something special," concierge Marcelo Surerus told reporters. "We'll be serving this for the duration of the strike."

The takeoff on the classic Manhattan consists of 1 1/2 ounces of bourbon, an ounce of Grand Marnier, a half-ounce of white cranberry juice, and a splash each of sour mix and sugar syrup. The finished product, garnished with a maraschino cherry, is darker than the usual Manhattan.

Dark, as in theater lights out.

The drink is going for $15, about normal for high-end Big Apple bars.

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ON THE WEB
• The stagehands union
• League of American Theatres
• Broadway news updates
• Dowd's Guides

Seeing daylight in Vermont

April L. Dowd photos (Fire photo provided)

FROM THIS ...

... TO THIS IN 7 MONTHS.

MANCHESTER, VT -- It took a mere seven months, from design to ribbon cutting, for Jerry and Liz Lavalley to achieve their dream: owning a luxurious inn and restaurant in the shadow of Mt. Equinox, part of the bucolic Green Mountains.

Well, there was that little matter of the fire. The one that burned the 1850 structure to the ground exactly 30 days after they moved up from Dallas and closed on the property.

"I've never had a problem talking,'' said the gregarious Jerry. "I've spoken in front of thousands of people many times. But Liz was out of town at her sister's home when I called to tell her what had happened and I literally could not say a word. I was in shock.''

The culprit was an electrical malfunction in a clothes dryer. The resulting blaze destroyed the Reluctant Panther Inn, a building that had become a local icon under a series of owners.

"We had to make some fast decisions, but I just kept thinking about the fire and the rubble that was left,'' Jerry said. "We had completely changed our lives to come here and all I could think about was what we'd lost. Liz was the one who said it was like mourning a death and that we had to look ahead, not back.''

When they did, what they saw was an opportunity.

The original purple-painted Reluctant Panther had been an organic structure, added to over the years as need and inspiration demanded. A new Reluctant Panther could be what the Lavalleys wanted rather than what they had bought and would have to slowly modify.

They commissioned local architect Ramsey Gourd to help them lay out a grand scheme for a larger complex with expansive suites, a large formal dining room, exterior elements that incorporated structural and design notes from the original inn, coffered ceilings in many public spaces, space for original artwork to be displayed, and an infrastructure that supported modern technology -- iPod docking stations in some rooms, high-tech coffee brewers, unobtrusive flat-screen TV sets, Jacuzzi tubs -- within what for all intents looks like a historic inn.

During the interview process with builders, the Lavalleys (at right) stressed the need to be able to adhere to an extremely tight schedule or not to bother bidding on the job.

"We knew we had to create and maintain a very strict schedule,'' Liz explained. "It was going to be a huge job, and if you didn't keep the pace it would never get done.''

Plus the need to quickly generate a cash flow where one didn't exist?

"Well, yes, that did enter into it,'' she conceded with a smile.

The Lavalleys are used to fast-tracking processes and negotiating to get what they want.

Jerry, a native of Plattsburgh, had been vice president in charge of non-U.S. operations for Fujitsu, the international communications and information technology company. Liz, a native of Washington, D.C., had been chief operating officer of Capgemeni Energy, a French-owned company formed by a collaboration with TXU Corp., where she had been a senior vice president.

"We were fortunate to find enough good craftsmen locally to be able to make this project work,'' Liz said.

However, two Texas transplants played gigantic roles in what became a fascinating and luxurious new incarnation of the Reluctant Panther -- Kyle J. Hugghins, a friend of their son Matt, and Liz herself.

Hugghins is a twentysomething who stayed on after the construction was completed and now, with Royal S. Smith, runs Cross Timbers Builders in Manchester Center. The Lavalleys credit him with the majority of the interior structural design which is marked by unique structural angles and traffic patterns for each of the new building's 11 suites as well as some of the nine suites in three adjacent cottages not affected by the fire.

"Kyle has an incredible sense of design and some really imaginative ways to make best use of the space, especially for someone so young,'' Liz said, as Jerry nodded vigorously in agreement.

She took on the interior decorating, and has created individual personalities for each guest suite while maintaining a harmonious feel to the whole inn. Her deft hand with colors, fabrics and themes is stunning, particularly in such a short space of time.

Money, lots of it, played a large role in the speed and quality of construction and outfitting of the inn. Jerry won't quote a full dollar amount, but does say even though they were decently insured "we put over a million dollars of our own money into this project'' once they made the decision to stay after the fire.

The actual reconstruction began in April 2006 and was completed on Nov. 11 when the three first-floor guest suites and dining areas were opened. Just seven months from start to finish. The eight upstairs suites opened in short order and the Reluctant Panther was back and making people take notice.

So much notice, in fact, that the inn recently won regional honors in the annual awards given by hospitality industry magazine Sante for best hotel/resort bar, then topped that by being named the No. 1 bed-and-breakfast in the state by the Vermont Hospitality Council, an arm of the state Chamber of Commerce.

However, the process wasn't without its rough patches.

In the standalone Porter House, for example, what is known as the Panther Suite has an odd configuration with a double-sized spa tub smack in the middle of the rear room. Kyle thought it would be great fun to emphasize it by putting a column on each of the four corners of the tub. Jerry thought the idea was ridiculous. After much energetic sparring, Jerry gave in.

While it takes a certain appreciation for the pillars, which don't at all go with the bedroom area, the suite has turned out to be one of the most requested in the complex.

"Honeymooners, people looking for a romantic getaway … that's the sort of thing people want the suite for,'' Jerry said.

When I noticed the glass-enclosed shower for two with rainfall shower heads and the spa tub for two and the fireplace in each room, the term "aquatic playroom'' came to mind.

The fireplaces are another frequent touch in the inn. Every room has one or two fireplaces, and several even have bathroom fireplaces. In the Adirondack Great Camp-style Akwanok Suite (above), for example, a see-through fireplace divides the sleeping area with its custom birch bark headboard from the sitting area with its plus chairs and village views.

The elegant Pierre Lamotte Suite is named for the French military man and eventual governor of Montreal credited with establishing the first European settlement in what became the state of Vermont. Coincidentally, an ancestor of Jerry Lavalley served under him. The colonial-style suite takes up a major piece of the rebuilt main house and offers a private entrance for those who might be seeking anonymity.

The Justin Morgan Suite (at right) is a paen to the late-18th century local composer and teacher who was the developer of the horse breed that bears his surname. As one might expect, the suite has an equine theme in a spacious sitting area that features a hand-built brick fireplace.

Adjacent suites -- The Lady Slipper, with an elegant four-poster bed, and the Taconic with its graceful sleigh bed -- can be joined to form a two-bedroom, two-bath suite.

The descriptions can go on, but the point is made. Liz's designs utilizing a mix of the couple's own family furniture and antiques, items purchased locally -- many from the eclectic Depot 62, an odd combination of furniture store and cafe -- and artisan-crafted decor (hand-flocked wallpaper in the public women's restroom; a handpainted street-scene mural on canvas by decorative painter Kimberley Ray of nearby Londonderry that covers every wall of the first-floor reception area) have resulted in a truly unique inn.

For those whose purpose is to eat and drink rather than stay over, there are several possibilities.

The downstairs Panther Pub (right) is a funky collection of rich woods, plaster walls, a sparkling bar, even a Wurlitzer jukebox Jerry used to have in his house, complete with mood-inducing recordings such as "To Know Him Is To Love Him'' (The Teddy Bears, 1958) and "Runaround Sue'' (Dion, 1961).

After drinks at the bar made by drinks manager Josh Cohen, we went into the plush main-floor dining room (below). Windows on three sides create a light, airy feel despite the heavy counterpoint of coffered ceilings and a grand piano on the premises. Dining is presided over by son Matt (the Lavelleys also have two daughters, one in high school locally, the other in law school in Texas).

In October, Justin Dain took over the kitchen from startup chef Daniel Jackson. He trained at both the Culinary Institute of America and the New England Culinary Institute and previously cooked in Boston. If the dinner I had is typical of Dain's cuisine, the Lavalleys are blessed.

His tuna tartare appetizer was of such quality "I took one taste and told Liz this is the guy we have to hire,'' Jerry said with a laugh.

Liz confesses she is so in awe of Dain's cloudlike ravioli she can't get past it to try something else. I agreed with the tuna tartare evaluation, and such perfectly-prepared entrees as handmade gnocchi, silky diver scallops and bold filet mignon show the chef's versatility. His pastry chef, Peter Adams, is an added bonus with his feather-light desserts such as poached pear with spice cake.

It has been a long road since Sept. 11, 2001, when the idea of a huge life change began forming in Jerry Lavalley's mind. He was on business in Japan when the terrorist-aimed planes hit the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C.

"I was stranded there with flights being shut down all over,'' he recalled. "All I wanted to do was be with my family but I couldn't beg, borrow or steal a ride and the ocean was too much of a swim. I knew then and there I wanted to change my life and never be separated from Liz and the kids like that again.''

Liz had the same epiphany, and it led to a lot of brainstorming. A dress shop at a mall? A consulting business of some sort?

"Liz said `How about running a B&B in Vermont?' just as a suggestion of one sort of thing we might want to consider. We eventually started to actually consider that path, and we looked at possibilities all over the country -- mostly anything south of the Mason & Dixon Line because of the weather. But then we broadened the search.''

The final decision was made when a visit to another Vermont property up for sale was scuttled over an odd bit of business.

"The owner had a rule that no children under 14 could stay there, and he wouldn't even bend it for a potential buyer with a very worldly and sophisticated 13-year-old daughter,'' Jerry said. "That really ticked me off, so I told the real estate agent I was out of there.

"He said he knew a place that probably would allow my daughter to stay over with us and it just happened to be for sale. That was the Reluctant Panther. Funny how things work out."

LAVALLEY IN THE RECEPTION AREA, WITH A KIMBERLEY RAY PAINT-ON-CANVAS MURAL BEHIND HIM.

THE PRIMROSE SUITE IS FULLY HANDICAP-ACCESSIBLE.

THE LIBRARY SUITE ACTUALLY OVERLOOKS THE TOWN LIBRARY.

THE GROUNDS INCLUDE SITTING AREAS, EXTENSIVE PLANTINGS AND A FOUNTAIN.

A CLUSTER OF THREE COTTAGES STANDS NEXT TO THE INN.

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ON THE WEB
• Manchester and The Mountains
• Manchester Designer Outlets
• Manchester Music Festival
• Hildene: Lincoln Family Home
• Summer Festival Horse Shows
• Orvis Fly Fishing
• Golfing
• Vermont ski centers
• Dowd's Guides