Since the kids started school, we are really stuck as to when we can take vacations outside of summer break. We love to go to Florida mid-Winter to spend some time with my parents in the Sarasota area, but the last few years have been pretty cool the second week in February.

This year gave “cool” new meaning: below-freezing temps, and cold, gray, very Buffalo-like conditions for the first half of our visit!

Thankfully, we got a couple of nice days at the end to hit the beach, and the pool, and get some color. But regardless of the weather, it was nice to get away.

It is instinctual to want to feel sunlight on your face. We need it. When we don’t have it, feelings of lethargy and fatigue take over. I know a lot of depressed people this time of year in the North, and I honestly don’t know how anyone could handle Alaska’s constant dark days. Even in the colder weather, to see a clear, blue sunny sky down there was enough to recharge my batteries. And though we were stuck inside much of the time, I did learn a few things.

Did you know:

Before Prohibition, there was no such thing as a mixed drink. Before Prohibition hit in the 20s and 30s, people would go to a bar or saloon and order whiskey, beer, wine, whatever they had in bottles. When alcohol was outlawed, people started making their own, and a lot of it tasted so bad- even poisonous – that bar owners masked the taste with fruit juices and soda, and the “cocktail” was born. (Thanks, History Channel!)

The stingray is closely related to the shark, with the exact same skin. We were able to touch some stingrays at the Tampa Aquarium, on one of several rainy cold afternoons. It was a very interesting experience. Rays were amazingly friendly, swimming right up and putting their heads above the water! The kids loved it.

A little frost, as long as it’s not too severe, actually makes oranges and grapefruits sweeter. We were able to taste for ourselves from an actual grapefruit tree in my parent’s neighborhood. A tasty way to start the morning.

I actually saw Floridians in winter parkas making “snow angels” in the beach sand. We were in shorts and t-shirts at the time, and it was sunny and almost 60.

As much as I like wine, there is nothing better than a frosty mug of Dos Equis when you’re eating Mexican food. Heather and I had a great lunch at Restaurante Tequilas in Palmetto, and it was just what the doctor ordered.

And lastly, even with cold weather, to be able to get away from Buffalo to Florida in February is a great thing.

We will be back mooching on you next year too, Mom and Dad!

–Brian

Today, my wife looked at me and said “I wish we were still in Napa.” I have been so busy since we got back that I waited to let the whole experience sink in before I wrote about it. But now is the time.

We had never been to California, before. The whole idea of a trip out west had always seemed so far away; something on our to-do list, certainly, but always with a “someday…” attached. Then the radio station became involved in the Live In The Vineyard contest, and we were given the opportunity to actually go to Napa ourselves.

Right up until we left, I still thought it couldn’t really happen for us; but then things started to fall into place: my parents were available to come down and watch the kids, a room opened up at the resort where the event was being held, the company actually approved our travel, and then, suddenly, we were going! We left Buffalo on a cold Friday morning, arrived in San Francisco and promptly got lost trying to find the Golden Gate Bridge. But when we crossed over into California wine country, our trip of a lifetime began.

Napa is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. It was an explosion of color driving in; all the beautiful colors you’d expect to see in Fall, only double because the leaves on the grape vines were changing too. We had to keep pulling over to take pictures.

Our first day we toured the historic Trefethen Vineyard, where we had some amazing wine (2005 Trefethen Cabernet), and were treated to an intimate acoustic performance by David Gray. Since my Charlottesville days I had always liked his hit Babylon, but I had never heard him live before. We saw a lot of great performers during our trip, but David was my favorite. I stood there, to the left of the stage, completely blown away by his talent, lost in the music. He also appreciated the setting, mentioning the falling leaves, the dappled sunlight, and quoting Yeats. It was magic.

From there we enjoyed a brief tour of historic downtown Napa where we were treated to a wine and cooking demonstration by Greg Cole of the world famous Cole’s Chop House, a wine pairing from Spring Mountain Vineyard, and an opening night cocktail party featuring an amazing assortment of Napa’s best wineries.

But music was center stage both weekend evenings, with two great nights of performances featuring Green River Ordinance, Diane Birch, Uncle Kracker (left), American Idol Kris Allen, our friends from Parachute, and culminating with a fantastic concert by Collective Soul, who rocked the house and reminded us just how many hits they have had since the early 90s.

Wow.

What is truly unique about this event is the ability to get up close and personal with all these artists. Everyone is in a good mood (you can’t not be in a good mood in Napa!) There is so much great food and drink, and between sets you could very well be talking to the next artist on stage, as they mingle with the crowd. It’s very relaxed, and extremely well organized, thanks to Claire and Bobbii, who put the event together, and their LITV team.

But probably my favorite day overall was our final day in Napa. Heather and I were able to drive around a bit and explore. We got up and had breakfast at a great corner deli, drove up a winding mountain road to take in more scenery, explored the town a little more before lunch, and then headed to a private cave tour at Miner Family Vineyard.

A wine cave is the absolute perfect place to store wine as they age in oak barrels. It’s underground, so the temperature is naturally constant, without the need for excessive heating or cooling. It’s a great use of space, since you can plant vines above ground, and store the wine underground on the same plot of land. (And really, is there anything more pleasant than the smell of wine barrels? I think not.)

As we toured the cave, we sampled fresh wine from the barrel, compared different vintages, and enjoyed another intimate concert featuring John Ondrasik (above) of Five For Fighting, truly one of the nicest and most down-to-earth guys you will ever meet.

On our way back to the Silverado, we stopped at Cliff Lede Vineyards where we were lucky enough to try one of the most amazing bottles of wine ever. Ideally during a tasting, you start with something decent, and work your way up in quality. At this particular tasting, it started off great, and got successively greater until we reached the pinnacle of wine-making, the 2006 Moon Sympathy (left). This huge cabernet is one of the top 3 I have ever tasted in my life. It’s truly a stunning wine.

And finally, a group of us were guests at the house of Kat and Rob McDonald, proprietors of Girls In The Vineyard winery. There we met up again with their partner, winemaker Matt Stone, who hosted a wine blending competition. Sorry to say we did not win, but it was fun to pick out the different characteristics of the wines available, and blend them to our taste. Lisa Stalvey of NBC’s Cutting Block whipped up some delicious quesadillas for us all, and we headed back to the hotel, tired, but happy.

A lot has been said in the press about how America “doesn’t make anything anymore.” After spending just a few days in Napa – far too little time, I might add – I could not disagree more. The winemakers here are experts in their field, and make world class wines that meet or exceed anything the world has to offer. It was fascinating to talk to the different winemakers and see how different their approaches were; so many different techniques, hundreds of new ideas and unique applications of technology. It is a world class brain trust all concentrated in one relatively small area.

If you love wine, Napa will blow you away.

And I can’t wait to go back.

–Brian

You may have heard I was in Austin for a few days for a radio conference. Star was up for “Hot AC Station Of The Year” – we didn’t win, but it was nice to be nominated, and be recognized as one of the Top 10 stations in the country doing this type of music. Very cool.

Before I left Buffalo, a lot of people were telling me how awesome Austin was, so I went there thinking it was going to blow me away. Truthfully, it wasn’t that great.

I liked aspects of it (Steve Ray Vaughn monument, upper left), there were some interesting music stores and shops, GREAT Mexican food, very friendly people, and some pretty decent live music. But aside from the Capitol building, the architecture wasn’t nearly as cool as Buffalo, and it was kind of dirty: dust everywhere, hot and very dry.

Those are three specific examples of how my 3-day visit could have set me back another $100 if I had wanted to swim, work out, have breakfast, or check my email from the room.

Since Wicked is coming to Shea’s this June, the producers of the show wanted to send some of us to see it before it came to Buffalo. (It helps to know what you’re talking about on the air.) Since we flew Delta – no surprise – our flight ended up being delayed 4 hours. We got to the airport 9am, didn’t take off until after 3pm, but we somehow made it to our hotel and the Gershwin Theater on Broadway with 5 minutes to spare.

Wicked is a prequel to the Wizard of Oz. Kind of a back story to the legendary book and movie, focusing on the friendship of the witches, with lots of interesting plot twists and “what if” scenarios explaining how the main characters came to be. I had no expectations going in, I’m really not into musicals as a rule – but this one blew me away.

Stephanie Block played Elphaba, the green Witch of the West, and she was spectacular. What a voice! Being green caused Elphaba to be an outcast among her family and other kids at school, and the timidity and shyness that comes with being different came through brilliantly in Stephanie’s acting and singing. Later, after she befriended Glinda, the “good witch,” she became popular – and Stephanie’s acting and singing likewise grew more confident.

The keynote song of the night was “Defying Gravity,” in which Elphaba rises above the stage and belts a song of triumph:

“So if you care to find me
Look to the western sky!”

Wow – we all got goosebumps! This is definitely a show for all ages, and you should REALLY get your tickets while you can: a special pre-sale is going on now at our website.

It was my first trip to New York City, and here it is in a nutshell:

* Flying Delta to JFK – a painful experience
* Wicked on Broadway – tremendously cool
* The Hudson Hotel – a chic hotel lobby, but the smallest, most uncomfortable room I’ve ever stayed in, bar none. It was a wood paneled 8 x 10 foot room/jail cell!
* Dinner at Da Tommaso – the best Italian I’ve had in quite some time. No waiting, attentive servers, piping hot food quick to the table. It was just what we needed after our 12 hour airport experience.
* Columbus Circle – 6 levels of hip stores and restaurants across from Central Park, and a great breakfast Sunday morning.
* Central Park – so much bigger than I thought. Every city needs green space like this.
* NYC Taxi Drivers – nobody weaves in and out of traffic like these guys, even if you can’t understand a darn thing they’re saying.
* La Guardia – if you fly into NYC, go there – not JFK.

And definitely check out Wicked when it comes to Shea’s. You won’t be disappointed!

–Brian

As I sit tanned, relaxed, and still not quite in back-to-work mode, I’m happy to say our Florida vacation was the perfect remedy for the seemingly endless Western New York winters. Last year it snowed from October to April, and we couldn’t get away until June, when it was already pretty nice here! This year, we planned a nice mid-winter break to visit family in the Sarasota area, to break out of our hibernation; click on my happy son below for a slideshow.

Having lived in the city, in the mountains, and near the water, it is obvious to me that I am a water person. The sound, sight, and smell of the ocean calms my soul in a way nothing else does. As JFK said, the need to return to the sea is strong:

“We have salt in our blood, our sweat, and in our tears. We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, we are going back from whence we came.”

Amen.

–Brian

We’re headed to Florida for a week’s vacation, and catching a 6am flight to get down there. Phew! For some reason my kids are very excited about getting up before the sun rises. Connor, especially, is really looking forward to seeing the sun rise – I hope it’s not too cloudy for my little guy.

Before I go, I thought I’d share a few tidbits I talked about recently on the air:

Wednesday @ 8:40pm there will be a complete lunar eclipse!
Basically what we’ll see, if it’s clear enough, is a red moon. The earth is going to be directly in front of the sun, so the moon will be covered in “earth shadow,” giving it an eerie coppery color (as pictured). It’s supposed to last from 8:40pm to about midnight.

We Love….Spam?
When Spamalot came to Shea’s last year, one of the things they gave the radio station was SPAM. I had it in my cupboard for a few months, and decided to fry it up over the weekend. Heather declined, but Connor and Darcy LOVED it! It’s funny how we cook great healthy meals for the kids: vegetable stir fry, delicious stews from scratch – they don’t want that, but I open up a can of SPAM and they go bananas.

Florida Family Flyaways
If you missed the Star Rewards Club email that told you about the three trips to Florida we’re giving away in March, stay tuned: when I get back I’ll have details about how your Winter Poem can win a family trip for 4 to Tampa. I’ll scout out the area first, and give you a complete rundown next week!

–Brian

We just got back from a very nice vacation where my younger brother Drew lucked out and married a wonderful girl by the name of Darbie. Drew was the last holdout of the Demay boys, and we were all very happy to see him finally settle down at last.

We also really liked the happy couple’s choice of wedding destination: the Mayan Riviera, right on the Gulf of Mexico near Cancun! I won’t bore you with a long description of my time there, other than to say if you DO go to Cancun, you can’t beat an all-inclusive resort. The on-site food, drink, and built-in activities are the way to go. It was a rude awakening on the way home at the airport restaurant to once again have to pay for everything. (sigh)

Click on the picture of the strapping young(ish) Demay men to see a slide-show of the trip, and all the fun things we did at the luxurious El Dorado Royale resort!

–Brian