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Farm Stands and Markets on Whidbey

Many of our neighbors on Whidbey Island are farmers. Nothing is finer than stopping by their farm to get the freshest produce for your island stay!

Whidbey Island is home to many kinds of farms from the reddest strawberries to award winning sheeps milk cheese to golden honey. Here are our tips to find your way to all of them.

When you plan your trip to Whidbey Island, a good place to start is with Whidbey Island Grown. This cooperative has links to all the farmers markets and farm stands in their island wide co-op. In a time of physical distancing you can even plan ahead and shop online to pick up your local produce, as you can see below in a portion of their menu for July.

    In Freeland, I highly recommend you stop by Mutiny Bay Blues with the most perfectly delicious blueberries in mid to late July. Their blueberries are the star of Mutiny Bay Distillerie's Blueberry liquor —another great local shop to visit nearby. You can also find their berries at our neighborhood Payless Grocery store.

  Nearby Orchard Kitchen is a fabulous restaurant that is a must visit, but did you know it also has a great farm stand? Check out their take out meals too.

  I have fond memories of enjoying the crispiest lettuce fresh from the Foxtail Farm stand. They are open in the summer season during daylight hours and at the Bayview Farmers Market on Saturday.

    Bayview Farmers Market is a seasonal Saturday experience from 10-2. Look for the white tents from the highway at Bayview Corner—you can't miss it. Now offering pre-order online for curbside pick-up.

Follow their Instagram to see the amazing abundance of Whidbey Island.

    Take a journey down a long and winding drive—through the woods—and you will arrive at Glendale Shepherd, in Clinton, a sheep farm with an ocean view. You can visit their farm store on Saturdays and Sundays and purchase their award winning cheese for your picnic. You can also find them at the Bayview Farmers Market. The sheeps milk yogurt is amazing with island berries and honey, and the little sheep soaps make a great island gift. You may even get to see their piglets during your visit.

  One last favorite of mine is Bells Strawberry Farm up in Coupeville. It is a delight to visit the year-round farm stand, and meet the donkeys and the sheep. Their strawberries are delicious, so plan your visit at the end of June to celebrate Strawberry Daze on the farm.

New Post has been published on https://vacationsoup.com/opening-again-for-business-on-1-august-2/

Opening again for business on 1 August

Malta is open for business, but most importantly it's now open for leisure. It opened its airport to a list of countries on 1 July and will open to most others on 15 July.

We're very excited about opening Indulgence Divine again on 1 August. There's plenty to do to make sure we're ready and up to date with all the regulation protocols required to make our accommodation as welcome and safe as possible for our guests.

We've had plenty of zoom meetings with our housekeeper to plan the re-opening and we're going to give you a great welcome. We've gone over the cleaning so as to be extra vigilant and we have also introduced a one day gap between visits which means we now have a minimum 31 hour gap between each stay. This not only gives us ample time to clean but gives any trace of the virus to die before new guests arrive.The great thing about a self-catering place is that any contact with us is remote, making it safer than a hotel with its shared spaces. You won't have to share anything with anyone once you're in through the main door.We've also seen Malta's museums, restaurants, cafes etc. opening for business. The last thing you want is to go on a holiday and be cooped up at your accommodation, be it a lovely accommodation if we may say that ourselves! We look forward to your bookings.Addendum 3 July 2020The British Government has today updated its travel advice to allow for non-essential travel to 59 countries and territories that it no longer deems high risk for British travellers. Malta is on this list due to its low rates of Covid-19. Holidays can go ahead to Malta and other countries on the “safe list” from 10 July. Passengers (both returning Brits and international tourists) arriving from these countries will not face quarantine.

New Post has been published on https://vacationsoup.com/opening-again-for-business-on-1-august/

Opening again for business on 1 August

Malta is open for business, but most importantly it's now open for leisure. It opened its airport to a list of countries on 1 July and will open to most others on 15 July.

We're very excited about opening Indulgence Divine again on 1 August. There's plenty to do to make sure we're ready and up to date with all the regulation protocols required to make our accommodation as welcome and safe as possible for our guests.

We've had plenty of zoom meetings with our housekeeper to plan the re-opening and we're going to give you a great welcome. We've gone over the cleaning so as to be extra vigilant and we have also introduced a one day gap between visits which means we now have a minimum 31 hour gap between each stay. This not only gives us ample time to clean but gives any trace of the virus to die before new guests arrive.The great thing about a self-catering place is that any contact with us is remote, making it safer than a hotel with its shared spaces. You won't have to share anything with anyone once you're in through the main door.We've also seen Malta's museums, restaurants, cafes etc. opening for business. The last thing you want is to go on a holiday and be cooped up at your accommodation, be it a lovely accommodation if we may say that ourselves! We look forward to your bookings.Addendum 3 July 2020The British Government has today updated its travel advice to allow for non-essential travel to 59 countries and territories that it no longer deems high risk for British travellers. Malta is on this list due to its low rates of Covid-19. Holidays can go ahead to Malta and other countries on the “safe list” from 10 July. Passengers (both returning Brits and international tourists) arriving from these countries will not face quarantine.

New Post has been published on https://vacationsoup.com/?p=277382

[Duplicated:277379] Wineries and Wine Tasting in Sedona

Mention Arizona and most people envision cacti, not Cabernet. Yet between heat-battled desert basins and soaring mountains, pockets of microclimates exist that echo some of the most famous wine regions of the world. Sedona occupies such an oasis. The Verde Valley’s abundant sunshine and dramatic nighttime cool-downs, combined with rich volcanic soil and a good water source create an ideal environment for hearty varietals.

Winemaking may seem like a trendy tourism wrinkle in Arizona, but it actually dates back to the late 17th century when Franciscan missionaries planted the first vineyards in the state. One of Sedona’s earliest settlers got the grape rolling in red rock country. Heinrich Schuerman arrived in Sedona in 1884 and planted an orchard and vineyard. A few years later he was selling apples, peaches and wine to the logging camps of Flagstaff and miners in Jerome.

Today, a handful of estate vineyards dot the hillsides just outside of town. Oak Creek inspires a lush greenbelt along the sloping flanks of House Mountain and it’s easy to forget that you’re anywhere near a desert.

New Post has been published on https://vacationsoup.com/wineries-and-wine-tasting-in-sedona/

Wineries and Wine Tasting in Sedona

Mention Arizona and most people envision cacti, not Cabernet. Yet between heat-battled desert basins and soaring mountains, pockets of microclimates exist that echo some of the most famous wine regions of the world. Sedona occupies such an oasis. The Verde Valley’s abundant sunshine and dramatic nighttime cool-downs, combined with rich volcanic soil and a good water source create an ideal environment for hearty varietals.

Winemaking may seem like a trendy tourism wrinkle in Arizona, but it actually dates back to the late 17th century when Franciscan missionaries planted the first vineyards in the state. One of Sedona’s earliest settlers got the grape rolling in red rock country. Heinrich Schuerman arrived in Sedona in 1884 and planted an orchard and vineyard. A few years later he was selling apples, peaches and wine to the logging camps of Flagstaff and miners in Jerome.

Today, a handful of estate vineyards dot the hillsides just outside of town. Oak Creek inspires a lush greenbelt along the sloping flanks of House Mountain and it’s easy to forget that you’re anywhere near a desert.

New Post has been published on https://vacationsoup.com/lets-talk-about-the-sunset__trashed/

Let's Talk about the Sunset

Name one thing you take the time to do every single time you go on holiday? Admit it, - race to find the perfect spot to enjoy the sunset.

It's something we rarely do in the throws of regular life, but on holiday, it goes hand in hand with completing that special indulgent day. Rewardingly tired, you find yourself on the beach, in a cafe, on the balcony, in a restaurant, - anywhere in fact that you know you are about to witness one of the most spectacular routines this Earth has to offer.

And offer it does. Even after billions of years, there is still something so magical about watching the sun go down. It's blazing colours streaming out into the sky, painting it reds, oranges and deep purples.

New Post has been published on https://vacationsoup.com/tune-in-to-live-from-a-living-room-with-luke-morris-madison-elmore-tuesday-march-24th-6-pm-est/

Tune in to "Live From A Living Room" with Luke Morris & Madison Elmore! --Tuesday, March 24th @ 6 PM EST

Music is the perfect way to lift your spirits during these challenging times!  Luke Morris & Madison Elmore are performing a special live concert via FaceBook  tonight at 6 PM EST.  https://www.facebook.com/lukeandmadison.duo/ Please consider making a donation as you listen tonight to support this talented young couple.

Staying true to their Blue Ridge Mountain roots, Luke and Madison play traditional Appalachian music.   Luke is a multi-instrumentalist, playing mostly the mandolin and guitar.  As an accomplished songwriter, he released his first album “Further Down the Line” in 2018.  He is a member of the blue grass band, “Shadow Grass” singing and playing the mandolin.  Madison, also a multi-instrumentalist, specializes in playing the fiddle, guitar and piano.  She has had the opportunity to perform at venues such as the “Grand Ole Opry,” the “Country Music Hall of Fame,” and the “Station Inn.”

Have a listen to their music here:

New Post has been published on https://vacationsoup.com/the-best-waterfall-hike-near-byrdstown-tn/

The Best Waterfall Hike Near Byrdstown, TN

Our Favorite Waterfall Hike near Byrdstown, TN

     Hike to Northrup Falls on a warm winter day 

  This is one of my favorite hikes!  It is beautiful anytime of year, but we always like to visit after a rain. The falls will be running strongest when there has been a recent rain. Just make sure to being extra shoes it can be really muddy in some areas. Colditz Cove is a 165-acre natural area located approximately two miles east of Allardt in Fentress County.It is about 20 miles from Wolf River Retreat.  Its most impressive feature is Northrup Falls. This is one of Tennessee’s most stunning waterfalls plunging more than 60 feet over a protruding rock ledge into a scenic, narrow, gorge along Big Branch Creek. The waterfall is named for the family who settled here and operated a mill above the falls in the 1800s. These high cliffs and overhangs at the falls and along the creek gorge were once used by cliff-dwelling Woodland Indians over 3,000 years ago. They primarily used these shelters during hunting season.