#of supporters here in Miami's beautiful bay front park

[tsgneworleanslouisiana]

Celebrate Local: New Orleans Hosts The Scout Guide Editor Conference

May was a big month for The Scout Guide New Orleans! The Scout Guide hosted its annual editor conference in New Orleans. Sixty TSG Editors from across the country traveled to the Crescent City in search of endless inspiration...and of course, a good time. Mission accomplished thanks to the incredible small business owners who make New Orleans the most exciting place to live and visit. 

Christy Ford and Susie Matheson, Co-Founders of The Scout Guide and TSG Charlottesville Editors with Jane Scott Hodges, Founder of Leontine Linens and Taylor Morgan, Editor/Owner, The Scout Guide New Orleans

In true New Orleans fashion, we experienced a feast for all of the senses at the home of Jane Scott and Philip Hodges. Discussed the state of our brand and what makes a beautiful book at our NOLA Headquarters, Windsor Court. Engaged with business owners while shopping local on Magazine Street. And celebrated local at three of my favorite eateries, Arnaud’s, Cavan, and Brennan’s.

Tablescape designs by Jane Scott Hodges featuring Leontine Linens and a collection of tabletop goods including fabulous flower vases from Malachite Home

Leontine cocktail napkins pair beautifully with Patti Constantin, Designs in Catering, hand blown glasses.

Fried oysters and Cajun Caviar by Patti Constantin

Laura Kocher, TSG Headquarters, Stacey Leuliette, TSG Palm Beach and Nantucket, and Jen Stolp of TSG Wilmington

Black Magic Drum Line surprise editors courtesy of Jane Scott and Philip Hodges

New Orleans wasn’t just selected because its a fun place to be — I was one of the very first franchise owners to establish The Scout Guide outside of home base in Charlottesville, Virginia. For our first road show, co-founders Susie Matheson and Christy Ford wanted to share with our young Editors the experience of what The Scout Guide can be in a community. 

Building a brand doesn’t happen over night, but it sure does seem like ours did. Since 2010, TSG has grown to a network of 60 city guides dedicated to celebrating and supporting over 3,000 small business owners who keep communities unique. TSG combines print, online and a national network making it a pretty powerful platform for local businesses to shine.

Eight years ago when I first brought The Scout Guide to New Orleans, I had this one little blue book, The Scout Guide Charlottesville. There was no Instagram, barely a website or blog, definitely no searchable directory, or a network of 60 Editors to support local. I was selling my passion for New Orleans and desire to create a visual for our city to shine on a national platform (at a time when we were still convincing people we were open for business.) 

A collection of city guides - The Scout Guide book bar on display at Perch

From top to bottom: TSG Cleveland, TSG Northwest Arkansas, TSG Park City, TSG Little Rock, TSG Omaha, TSG Cincinnati, TSG Cleveland, TSG Fort Worth and TSG Wilmington

I had big dreams for my small business, but I am not sure I visualized a union of our powerful network in my own backyard. So when I looked around in a room and saw all the people gathered based off of something that I built, it was a pretty moving experience. 

Ralph Brennan shares the history of Brennan’s along with some lessons in business with our group of young entrepreneurs

Autumn Allen, TSG Washington, DC, Sarah Phillips, TSG Alexandria, Nelina Loiselle, TSG Hunt Country

Jane Scott Hodges, Patti Constantin, and Ralph Brennan were not only instrumental in the success of the Conference, but they have been crucial to the success of our brand. These uniquely New Orleans business owners, along with Ashley Longshore, Melissa Rufty and Adrienne Casbarian, Neal Alford, Roy Dunn and Stephen Sonnier, Alexis Walter, Lynn Morgan, Mia and Justin Devillier, and the Windsor Court team answered the call in my first year, trusted me to represent their brand in places near and far, and remain with me on the journey today. They have become our very own TSG celebrities so it was fun to finally introduce them to their fan club in real life. 

Adrienne Casbarian, owner of Malachite Home, Susie Matheson and Christy Ford, Co-Founders of The Scout Guide and Taylor Morgan, Editor/Owner of The Scout Guide New Orleans

Mariah Walton, owner of West London Boutique, signs her page in The Scout Guide New Orleans 

The Scout Guide is about people. We love connecting businesses to businesses, so I hosted a happy hour at Cavan to introduce New Orleans business owners to Editors in other cities. Kathy Slater who showcases her work in Dallas, Houston and Atlanta had the opportunity to meet the respective Editors. Susan Zackin who plans parties in New Orleans and Palm Beach (and everywhere in between) met her champion on the ground in any port of call. Interior Designer Shaun Smith and Restaurant Owner Robert Leblanc shared with Editors how The Scout Guide has supported the growth of his business.

TSG Naples, TSG Edmond, TSG Jackson, TSG Plano & Frisco, TSG Mobile Bay, TSG Dallas

Rebecca Vizard carved time in her schedule to share her story with TSG before darting to Baton Rouge to receive the Louisiana Legend award later in the evening

Today I have represented over 200 small business owners in New Orleans. I adore being their champion and I do experience some pretty cool things. But let me let you in on a little secret: you, too, can continue to peel back the layers in our city just by walking in the front door of these local businesses. 

Natalie Erwin Art pairs beautifully with Leontine

Flowers, antiques and gifts all under one roof at Dunn & Sonnier

Ashley Nettleton, TSG Edmond, Suzanne Dildy, TSG Park City, Susu Stall, owner of SOSUSU Boutique, and Susie Matheson, Co-Founder of TSG and Editor of The Scout Guide Charlottesville

Cole Pratt’s Erika Olinger shares with Christy Ford her art + technology exhibit 

TSG Headquarters Team with Shane Guidry of Pippen Lane

But where would we be without you, our reader? Thank you so much for supporting these small business owners. All a TSG Editor can hope for is that you find something you love here, visit the store, meet the owner, learn something new and buy local what you want (and of course, tell them scout sent you!). By doing so, you will have a profound impact on your local community.

Hopie Avery, TSG Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Leigh Ann Kalman, TSG Austin, Leigh Brown, TSG Fort Worth, Cheney Edmunds, TSG Richmond and Meredith Kallaher, TSG Miami shopping local at West London Boutique, Pilot + Powell, SOSUSU, Tasc and Villa Vici

TSG loves Ashley Longshore Art

Cozy conversations at Cavan with our newest editors TSG Phoenix and Tuscon at the head of the table

The experience of a French Quarter balcony at Arnaud’s

Champagne sabering every week day in the courtyard at Brennan’s

And just when I thought I had seen everything this city had to offer, TSG Co-Founders, Christy Ford & Susie Matheson, gifted me with a glittered field commander hat that they scouted at Peony. Certainly, there couldn’t have been a more perfect gift for the person leading the trombone parade of sixty lovers of local, and clearly, they had to stake their claim as the original scouts!

TELL THEM SCOUT SENT YOU!

—TAYLOR MORGAN, Editor/Owner, THE SCOUT GUIDE NEW ORLEANS

Most photos by Paul Morse Photo and a few by yours truly, TSG New Orleans. 

Enjoy TSG Miami’s recap of The Scout Guide Editor Conference on her You Tube Channel. 

Interested in becoming a member of The Scout Guide? Find more information here. 

[flauntpage]

A Guide for NBA Stars Stuck Playing on Christmas Day

The NBA released its Christmas Day schedule for the upcoming season last night and everyone is very excited about the Milwaukee Bucks big matchup against the New York Knicks. But are their hidden costs here? Sure games on Christmas are good for you, the sports viewer looking to hide somewhere, but they are bad for almost everyone responsible for coaching, playing, refereeing, stadium-staffing, or floor-waxing on the big day.

Waking up on a day that, for most of the western world, is meant to be a day of family, celebration, trees, things of that nature. It’s the holiday EVERY fucking person celebrates to some degree or another, be it as a religious sacrament and celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, an exploration of the bottom of capitalist impulse and an opportunity to teach children how to consume so the economy can stay big and healthy, an excuse to gather the family and eat ham or some other pig product, or, if you’re a real traditionalist, a Pagan Celebration of the birth of the sun, the source of all life and matter in the universe, the only TRUE observable God, a fiery ball of indifference hovering off in the distance, waiting for the ozone layer to collapse so it can burn us all to a crisp.

LeBron James, the floating ball of energy the NBA currently revolves around, has been vociferous in his criticism of the tradition:

“If you ask any player in the league, we’d rather be home with our families,” James said in 2010 before his Miami Heat were set to play the Los Angeles Lakers on the road. “I think the people that even set the games up would rather be home with their family during this day. It’s not just a regular holiday. It’s definitely one of those days that you wish you could wake up in the morning with the kids and open up presents.”

Ahh, the double-edged blessing and pain of the Christmas Day game! Certainly, playing in one implies that you are a member of a certain class of team, a squad who accomplished big things the year before and seems poised to accomplish much more in the year to come. BUT, the price of this fame and success is alienation—from your family, from the the traditions of your youth, and from the celebration of the broader world.

It’s tremendously sad, in its way, but the cost of success is inconvenience. And anyway, not all hope is lost: the human mind and spirit are ingenious, and there is plenty of holiday joy to be found out there on the road, in whatever strange city you may find yourself in. And so, for the convenience and edification of the players who will be stuck away from their families on December 25, we offer some suggestions for how they can cope.

12:00 PM ET: Milwaukee Bucks vs. New York Knicks

This is a big moment for the NBA’s kind, long-limbed, muscular boy, Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Greek Freak. It's an opportunity to absolutely lay waste to a team full of chumps and bums in front of an increasingly irritable crowd who will absolutely be looking for an opportunity to turn on the Knicks somewhere around Giannis’s thirty-seventh or so point. The rush of demolishing your opponent while they slowly lose support from their home is the biggest shot of adrenaline you can possibly feel, it’s basically the thrill of winning a war.

There’s no reason for Giannis to leave this feeling behind once he steps off the hardwood. Instead of shuffling back to the hotel and playing Fortnite or whatever it is youths do in hotel rooms, I implore Giannis to take to the Manhattan streets, steal cars, and declare homes and businesses to be “The Property of the Freak, Now.” He should recruit anyone he sees drifting on those cold Christmas streets to come inside the warm arms of the Freak, to huddle together and create a mass of human beings that will lead a movement to make Giannis the King of New York. Not in some corny-ass sports way but, like, actually the king, owning the fiefdom. He will knight dudes and dole out lands to vassals and arrange marriages to remain powerful and rich. The whole domain of the City is within your reach, Giannis… you just need the followers, sitting there on the streets for the taking.

3:00 PM ET: Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Houston Rockets

After taking a beating at the hands of the vastly superior Houston Rockets, Russell Westbrook is going to go back to his hotel room and carve everything he did in the game into his mattress, so he can more deeply engrain his various minor accomplishments into his mind and soul, as he does after every game.

For everyone else, though, a cleansing will be needed from the pure filth that builds inside the mind and spirit when you play for the Oklahoma City Thunder. They will need to get in a car and drive out to the Texas desert—no water, only a big block of salt and some cold pre-game buffet raviolis for sustenance—sit on the sand and just sweat, sweat until there's nothing left in you, sweat until you've drained out all the hatred and loathing and complicity in lining the pockets of a dude who made his fortune fracking, leaving you an empty vessel. Watch the sun set off into the distance and spend some time just, like, looking at the stars, alone and empty and happy for a split second. Then get back into the car and drive back to civilization, where you will suck in all that evil once again.

5:30 PM ET Philadelphia 76ers vs. Boston Celtics

Woof, Boston. No one wants to be ANYWHERE less, but on Christmas, it really takes it out of you. A rational person would fake an injury, chill at home and read a book, but professional athletes live to compete, so that’s probably out of the picture.

The only MORAL thing you can do, here, is walk out of that stadium and go door to door, barging in on every Christmas celebration you can find, and trying your damnedest to convince everyone you talk to that it’s time for them and their family to move anywhere—ANYWHERE—to get away from Boston. Ben Simmons can talk about Australia, with its Kangaroos and outbacks, neither of which Boston has. Joel Embiid can celebrate the virtues of the great nation of Cameroon, which might not be perfect, but is, at the least, not Boston, Massachusetts. J.J. Redick, unfortunately, will try to convince a poor family that they would be better off in North Carolina, but accidentally be slowly sold on Boston and wake up the next day with a gross haircut and his number retired in the Garden. Tragic, really, but so is LIFE.

8:00 PM ET Los Angeles Lakers vs. Golden State Warriors

The Bay Area: really lovely, if not for all the wind. LeBron James, separated from his family and annoyed at the ritual he gets forced into every year, can find some peace in one of San Francisco’s many municipal parks, where he can take advantage of the winter weather and gently fly a humble kite while wearing a massive, Nike branded pea-coat. As he looks at the kite, getting yanked to and fro by the wind, his mind will naturally drift to his broader life, like that kite up there, staying afloat only by the providence of his tremendous control.

Sooner or later a gust or a dip will hit, and the kite will fall or somehow lose control. In this moment, LeBron will feel the chill of fate, pulling at his soul. Was that wind?, he will think. Will the Lakers make a move that will plunge them into the bottom of the league while he’s still there and make him look like a colossal asshole? Is it the vagaries of injury, which can strike at any second? The bottom falling out of one of his many projects, some shit beyond his control sending him scattering in the wind? Is it his children, disappointing him? His wife or a business partner leaving out of nowhere? Certainly, the kite can’t stay up forever, he will think. I am in control now, but the gusts of life will come, and then what will I do? Can I keep the kite afloat, or raise it in the air once more?

10:30 PM ET Portland Trail Blazers vs. Utah Jazz

Well hey, if you’re gonna be traveling for work on Christmas, there’s no better place to be than Utah. The Mormons are the last practitioners of The Great Christmas Kitsch Arts, and they will fill your mind and your heart with holiday joy as you listen to their choir, devour their unnervingly perfect Christmas cookies, and go caroling in their beautiful neighborhoods, each more immaculately decorated than the last.

And, bonus: since you, as an NBA player, are a millionaire, you can purchase access to the basement of the Mormon Tabernacle, where the yearly orgy designed to establish balance in the broader world will be happening. Butts and dicks and limbs, flying everywhere, getting inserted into everything, holiday themed bread puddings falling into your mouth and onto your privates, ALL FOR THE PURPOSE of exorcising the impurities and sins of the world and burying them deep under the ground and away from the surface. No one does Christmas like Utah, you better believe it.

A Guide for NBA Stars Stuck Playing on Christmas Day published first on https://footballhighlightseurope.tumblr.com/

[miamibeerscene]

Drake’s Brewing Announces First Friday Fundraiser Recipient for January

December 18, 2017

Friday, January 5th at 4pm, join McKinley Elementary School at Drake’s Brewery in San Leandro for First Friday! Bring your family and friends to celebrate East Bay schools and education. All donations at the door and proceeds from beer sales will go towards McKinley Elementary’s missions to support students academically and socially.

Entry to the event is based on a $5 (or more!) per person donation at the door. To drink, you must have a Drake’s tasting glass which can be purchased at the event or brought from home if you already have one. $16 will get you a glass and 3 tokens for beers. Additional beer tokens can be purchased separately for $4 ea. Please park in the main West Gate Center lot, in front of Walmart & Home Depot, and walk back to the brewery. The event is 21 and over except children under 16 with their parents, but please leave your pets at home. Feel free to bring your own lawn chairs or other seating to make yourself comfortable (tail-gater style!), and enjoy an evening with Drake’s Brewing and the local community to support funding McKinley Elementary!

About Drake’s Brewing

Since 1989, Drake’s has earned its reputation as a repository for excellent brewers and excellent beer. Lind departed San Leandro in 1998, but left his brewery in the hands of men and women who would earn countless medals at Great American Beer Fest, the World Beer Cup, the California State Fair, and many others. Over the years, the beers naturally moved from their roots in the English-style to being true West Coast style ales with an abundance of fresh Pacific Northwest hops, top quality malt, and a neutral California Ale yeast strain that allows the flavors and aromas of the top quality malts and hops to shine through and gives the beer a clean, dry finish. The people loved it all, and their increasing thirsts helped Drake’s to grow tank by tank, year by year. Drake’s Owners John Martin and Roy Kirkorian

In 2008, the life of the brewery came full circle. John Martin [the same man who walked with Lind through the empty tractor factory in 1989], with his business partner Roy Kirkorian, took over the brewery. With a stellar line up of brews, Drake’s has grown in both production and distribution. We progressed from being available only within the Bay Area, to distribution throughout California. Drake’s has become a staple of California’s brewing community, with the time, trust, investment, and the community of people surrounding the brewery.

In 2011, the Drake’s Barrel House Taproom opened in the shadow of the Brewhouse in San Leandro. The Barrel House serves as the tasting room and retail home of the brewery. All of Drake’s core and limited brews, as well countless experimental or one-off batches can be found here, fresh on tap. Here, at what we affectionately call “DBH,” our brewers regularly tip their elbow with the wider team of Drake’s employees and guests who want to experience the brewery first hand. The Barrel House is so named for the hundreds of wine and spirit barrels that adorn the walls; conveniently, you can taste the latest batch of barrel aged brews that our Specialty Beer Program has prepared in eclectic, limited batches.

In 2015, we debuted the Drake’s Dealership in Downtown Oakland. A project two years in the making, the Dealership was constructed [much like our brewery]in the shell of a former business, this time a Dodge Dealership and Repair Shop. The beer garden and full service restaurant was built largely by reclaimed and repurposed wood and steel from the former dealership’s structure. Our Dealership, in a short amount of time, has become renowned for it’s excellent food menu, regularly featuring locally sourced, farm fresh, and rare seasonal ingredients. The structure of the beer garden and bar area have also received acclaim for their beautiful industrial/urban design and style

As part of our company philosophy, we work to do good things with our great beer. The First Friday of every month we host a block party in our parking lot in honor of a local educational foundation or non-profit organization. The First Friday’s are a throwback to the Friday BBQ’s Lind would host with his friends and supporters, and we are proud to continue that tradition and support the East Bay Community that we call home. In 2016 we launched our Kick Back Program, where a portion of our proceeds for our Summer Limited release beer is donated to a local organization. Our first year, in cooperation with the East Bay Regional Parks District, was a resounding success, and we are looking forward to our partnership continuing in 2017.

Contact Info

Contact: Cherryland Email: lauren@drakesbrewing.com

The post Drake’s Brewing Announces First Friday Fundraiser Recipient for January appeared first on Miami Beer Scene.

from Drake’s Brewing Announces First Friday Fundraiser Recipient for January

[jdotavenue-blog-blog]

This spring proved to be one of exploration as I jetted across the waters to the beautiful island of St. Maarten/Sint Martin. I have even included a video of my trip at the very end of this blog.

St. Maarten is one of the islands that fall under the Netherland Antilles bracket. The island is situated in between St. Eustatius and St. Barths.

My purpose of the trip was to experience the wonderful annual carnival festivities. St. Maarten carnival reigns as one of the longest drawn out carnival weeks ever…emphasis on weeks! It starts in the beginning of April with pageants and parties and then ends on the heels of May with nightly soirees in the Carnival Village.

I got there just in time to visit my family, eat delicious island delicacies, and do a little sight-seeing first.

Maho Beach

As soon as we touched down, we headed straight for Maho Beach and ate food while listening to a local DJ scratch records. The best part of it all was watching tourists linger on the beach while planes landed. I am sure you have seen the videos on YouTube. There are signs posted all over “CAUTION! Do not stand here” telling people not to stand by the gate. Of course, people do not heed the warning and they find themselves being thrown by the gust of wind from the landing planes. And I find myself taking videos and pictures of these crazy adrenaline-filled stubborn people.

It was a nice view watching eat plane land and I was even more surprised that happy hour consisted of two mixed drinks for only $5. In Miami, you’d be lucky if one mixed drink during happy hour cost only $5…I got to enjoy TWO for that price. It’s too bad everyone was ready to leave so I didn’t even get to get myself tipsy.

Walter Plant – Boardwalk

This journey was by mistake. We actually had a sleu of radio interviews that were scheduled all over the island. One of the radio interviews wasn’t too far from the boardwalk (driving wise), however, we ended up wandering while looking for a family friend’s establishment and was tricked into walking what was to be a short distance…3 blocks later we realized that we actually had a long way to go. It was bad enough my feet were already swollen. However, when in Rome…

We finally reach the establishment and ran into some friends and decided we might as well keep trekking towards the boardwalk. It was a lovely view, but one that would have been lovelier from the inside of a car.

The funniest part is that we continued walking all the way to the courthouse and eventually ended up at the KFC. While others ate, my primary concern was finding A/C and a chair. I think somewhere amid all of the walking we forgot that we had parked the car all the way back by the radio station.

Orient Bay We finally got a day to unwind and recharge for the busy end of the week ahead of us. A team of us gathered at Orient Bay to enjoy watching tourists parasailing and we got to enjoy the beautiful island waters. Not to mention, we were right on the same sands as the infamous nude beach and yes topless women did confidently stroll over to the other side. It’s a good thing my son isn’t gullible and knows a lot for his age.

We visited the site near Orient Bay that is known for welk-catching. Unfortunately, you can only catch welks during a certain season but the view was beautiful from afar. I say “afar” because I am far from Indiana Jones and sharp slippery rocks are not something I look forward to walk on. I am an island girl but I am also a little bit clumsy. Nor am I a skinny Minnie…and I like life so far so “ISSA NO!”

Westin Resort & St Barths Vantage Point

The best part of the trip for me was hanging out with close friends and family amongst bottles of Hennessey, great island music, food, and hilarious stories and conversations. We made sure to do that numerous times throughout the week. We partied right outside of the Westin Resort and got to get a nice distant view of the neighboring island of St. Barths (yes, the island known for celebrity visits).

French Quarter & Anguilla Vantage Point

In St. Maarten the island is split into two different sides that represent and are governed by two different countries. There’s St. Maarten (the dutch side) and Sint Martin (the french side). If you happen to take a cruise to St. Maarten you will dock on the Dutch side. The French side is where you’ll find the luxurious hotels and resorts. You will notice the difference being that the French side has all the 5-star dinning options and it is reminiscent of downtown New Orleans. You’ll also notice the difference because the French side is riddled with police presence (which they refer to as the “Jean Damme” (yes, think Jean Claude Van Damme the actor and martial artist). I’m guessing it means Justice Department (goes to Google to fact check).

I also got to see the infamous filming location for Speed 2 which I found out was built only for the movie and the island decided to keep it as a landmark. From this side of the island you can also spot the neighboring island of Anguilla. It’s too bad we didn’t get to go to Anguilla as planned due to last minute changes. I had my outfit ready and all.

Jouvert

I got 3 hours of sleep before being woken up at 3am in the morning to get dressed for Jouvert. Yes, it started at 4am and we had to be on the truck. Jouvert is a celebration that happens before the main event of Carnival (parade day). It usually consists of everyone swarming the streets to dance behind trucks that are made of speakers and you dance behind the loud truck for miles until the end. Keep in mind, there are 19+ trucks and they are all going at a speed of less than 1 mile per hour. So yes, jouvert was over 6 hours long. The dress code is extremely casual and it is preferred that you wear something that can be disposed of right after being that paint, oil, water, powder are all on the agenda to be thrown around without notice and land on your clothes.

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I even borrowed sneakers because all my shoes were too nice to get dirty. I had on a head tie although I had originally planned to wear a shower cap as I did at Sunday’s wet fete. It was a great thing that we were on the truck since my husband was set to DJ. My feet were nearly damaged from all of the walking and strain that looking back, I wouldn’t have been able to walk for 6 hours dancing straight in the blazing hot sun. I can only imagine the thousands of people who did just that.

Rum & Peas Caribbean Restaurant

We had our second event at Rum & Peas restaurant in Simpson Bay and it was a brunch filled with soca music and a great menu. We even had some surprise live performances from local artists. I got to enjoy the chicken wings (flyers), oxtail spring rolls with a curry mustard dipping sauce, and curried stewed chicken accompanied with coconut rice (it was served inside of a coconut shell). With admission, we all got a complimentary cocktail which was a Bellatini a smooth wine cocktail. Of course, I ordered a mixed drink being that all mixed drinks were made with fresh ingredients. My drink of choice was the signature Rum & Peas punch which consisted of three different liquors and fresh ingredients and topped with red peas (that were soaked in rum for a period of time).

I felt nice and tipsy and enjoyed myself. I went straight to sleep as soon as I got in the car. And continued to sleep when I got home. I missed the beginning of the Friday night extravaganza but it was worth it. The price of getting lit just to be an overly supportive wife and get the party started right.

Carnival Village Nightly I got to sample tasty ribs, chicken saté (with and without peanut sauce), johnny cakes, oyster soup, and strong mixed drinks that were budget friendly. In one week, I got to enjoy the sounds of the Grandmasters & Small Axe bands out of St. Kitts; Dominica’s own Asa banton; Zouk sensation Carimi, Oreo; Trinidadians Farmer Nappy, Patrice Roberts, and Destra; Antigua’s own Ricardo Drue; local talents like Kenyo, King Vers, King James, Mighty Dow, Singing Olivia, Shadz, Niqo, and Rumer threw down on Tuesday night at Soca Rumble.

Soca Rumble was the main night being that two artists would be crowned as the Groovy and Power Monarchs to represent the island in two different competitions. The Groovy Monarch was Kenyo who performed one of the biggest songs on the island, “Who Yuh Fuh” and King Vers winning the Power Monarch for his hit “Everything (Yap Yap)”.

Souvenirs & Travel Tips

Honestly, when I travel to the islands my souvenir list is the same: liquor, perfume, jewelry, ingredients to make a damn good tea, and a tan of course. This time, I brought back some nice herbs for tea making. I am a tea fanatic and being that I don’t have a garden, if I need moringa tea, green tea, or chai tea, it was heavenly to see the bush right in front of me. And now my mornings are amazing. And yes, as always, I got a major tan. The woes of having to wear makeup nowadays (but that’s a whole other blog post).

I did manage to bring back a bottle of Guavaberry which FYI, is better to get in the airport because you can just carry it on the plane without going through the hassle of checking it in. You can also purchase gouda cheese in the airport without the checking hassle. You just have to give them your flight number. Another FYI, when traveling try to carry a child. I say this because my son was treated like VIP and I got to skip the long TSA lines because I was the mom of the child….children had their own line which of course was empty. Not to mention, coming in to the island, I got to beat the horrific line for international travelers since my husband is from there. All hassle-free.

I took the usual Saturday to Saturday flight courtesy of Spirit Airlines. It was the most cost effective option and I have become a pro at the numerous restrictions this airline offers: the miniature-sized personal carry on to avoid outrageous fees at the check-in desk, the cutbacks on seating space while on the aircraft, the lack of complimentary snacks, the last row of seats that fall right by the back engine where you feel all turbulence 10x over. I must say that the 5,000 free miles is a nice idea and could be one of the few things that salvage the Spirit experience.

  St. Maarten Carnival 2017 This spring proved to be one of exploration as I jetted across the waters to the beautiful island of St.