All for me grog...

With the many different types of alcoholic beverages we have provided to us, and with all of the places that they are made, it just makes traveling all the more worth while. Here is a unique selection of drinks that make the globe-trot an extra rewarding experience.

The most recent drink I had was at a sushi restaurant a couple days ago, 'sake' . Normally called 'nihonshu' in Japan, sake is a rice wine with a higher alcohol content like wine. Prior to the first sake brewery being established at Kyoto's Imperial Palace in the 7th century, sake was consumed in a form that resembled porridge, with the rice primed for production by the chewing in your mouth method. I've only drank this warm and it goes down quite smoothly, perfect to sip with almost any meal.

In addition to the wine factor, I've discovered that visiting vineyards is a new favorite activity of mine. I've tasted many good wines from a lot of different places but one in particular that my friend's family enjoys is Burgundy wine. I'd have to say that after my tastings and doing some research, it is the place where some of the best wine is made. It would have been really cool to have been able to visit one of the vineyards during my time in France a couple years ago, but unfortunately I had to stick to the schedule I was given. It's obvious to say that the wine is made in the Burgundy region of eastern France from a variety of grapes. They possess particular qualities attributable to the region’s 400 soil types. White Burgundy is essentially a chardonnay, with an added touch due to the limestone soil in which it’s grown, while red Burgundy is a pinot noir. I suggest you try it.

Moving on, the alcohol that we all 'attempt' to avoid because apparently it "makes our clothes fall off" is tequila. Made from the blue agave plants grown in Mexico’s tequila region. This a very beautiful part of Mexico to visit. (Although my family doesn't know I made a special trip to this place during my spring break) Tequila, is a great place mainly because of the tours that are available of the 3 big distillers; Jose Cuervo, Herradura and Sauza. A place that I didn't get to the chance to visit is to the east of Guadalajara which are the more...rugged towns of the Highlands region such as Arandas. Towns like these are believed to make the best tequila. Unlike Tequila (the town), which is geared toward tourists, this is for more of an adventurous traveler to discover. It is a lot of fun no matter where you go.

Over the holidays, 2 of my good friends, John and Rue, had the opportunity to take a trip to Tennessee for a work conference.

After hearing their stories, It has become a new destination on my bucket list of travels. Now one of the main reasons is to visit the famous Tennessee whisky distilleries. Two in particular are Jack Daniels and George Dickel. I have tried both and I really enjoy George Dickel. Just a tid bit of information I picked up, back in 1870, George Dickel discovered that whisky made in winter was smoother, so then added a lengthy cooling step to the production process to perfect his taste. He also refined a special combination of mashed corn, barley and rye to use as base ingredients. Double-distilled and aged in charred white-oak barrels for up to 12 years. I just find this kind of stuff so cool and interesting!

Now for my favorite, the place that has been a dream of mine to visit, Dublin, Ireland. Home of the Guinness. I've been stumbling upon a lot of sites that focus on Guinness from the special process it takes to make this delicious porter, to ways of surviving your first Guinness in an Irish pub. It takes 119.5 seconds to pour the perfect pint. The famous ‘surge and settle’ should be done in a two-part pour. Based in Dublin, the Guinness brew is a heavy malt porter (dark, sweet ale brewed from black malt)  it is the favorite beverage of porters and it certainly puts hair on your chest.

There are a few other cool places to visit such as Belgium for its beer, Absinthe in the Czech Republic and the vodkas of Poland. It's impossible to visit another country without attempting to experience the  beverage of choice by the locals. It will make the experience all the better. Cheers everyone.

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The Sweetest Place

“The more beautiful you make something which people can see and use, the more enjoyment they will get out of it…” stated Milton S. Hershey. It has been an absolute privilege to be working here at the Theatre. I've have been learning so much about this place and it has been a lot of fun, especially the part of actually performing in one of the shows.

The Hershey Theatre was brought to life by Milton S. Hershey in the early twentieth century during the Great Depression.  Hershey felt that providing leisure and entertainment to his workers and other people in the community was important.        

Lancaster architect C. Emlen Urban was hired by Hershey and shortly began conjuring plans for the theatre in 1915; however, he did not start the construction until 1929 due to the first world war. Eventually, a near six hundred workers, who were all unemployed due to the Depression, worked on the theater until completion in September, 1933. This new theatre, which cost an influential three million dollars, may have been one of the best investments.          
With this, you can see that Milton had a true liking to Venice, Italy which is what the theatre's design is based off of.  Tan stone bricks are neatly lined in a row and for each doorway there obtains an arch over it with relief sculptures such as a seashell.  The roof is an adobe style with red clay tile often used in Italy.  As for the interior, it feels like a whole new world.  Although the theatre only caps twenty-five percent of the entire building, it has rakes in forty percent of the buildings expenses.  Towards the front of the theatre, a proscenium arch over the stage resembles the “Bridge of Sighs”.  Behind the curtains, hangs an original watercolor painting of Venice’s Grande Canal is portrayed. This Theatre is highlighted by its intricate painted ceilings of mythical and pastoral visions, including the option of an atmospheric projection to make guests illusion a starry night. Meanwhile, the main lobby consists of a ceiling with images of Apollo and Assyrian war chariots. Some Greek architecture is involved as well.  Pendantives are seen in the lobby with it’s many

archways too.  Something you may not notice are the Lion heads that are placed throughout the inside representing the symbol of Venice.  With this, the walls that these lions heads rest on are made of four different types of marble that accent an array of arches replicating the Byzantine castle. Now looking down, most of the floors are laid with varnished Italian Lava rock.
The entrance of the building involves two massive brass doors that leads under a “canopy of gold” arched tile, modeled after St. Marks Cathedral in Venice.  During the night of a performance, the lighting gives everything certain sheen and gleam .  My favorite part of the theatre is the gold and blue Persian mosaic design that was created by two German artists. They labored for two years laying each tile by hand.  It is just amazing to me how much detail is put into this place and the use of materials from all over the world are situated in it. 

                   This theatre is a remarkable place to visit.  When I entered the theatre, it put me in a position where I felt like I was in a castle.  The amazing craftsmanship and rare materials are the reason I enjoy coming to this community center. Today, Hershey Theatre is conducted by the M.S. Hershey Foundation, which was established in 1935 to extend education and cultural opportunities to the community.  Decades later, this place is still one of the top attractions in Hershey. 

The Theatres mission still remains, and that is to keep bringing entertainment to central Pennsylvania.

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