It was our first New World Wine & Food Festival event - a winemaker's dinner hosted by Boudro's and served in an intriguing wine cellar. Each carefully selected course was paired with Brown Estate Vineyards wines.

Each of the five courses gave us enough to savor the creative cuisine and marvel at how well paired the course was with a Brown Vineyard wine. I have to say my favorite was the first course, a pan seared scallop with sweet potato gnocci, crispy sweetbread and brown butter. It was paired with a 2007 Brown Estate Chardonnay. Why my favorite? It surprised my palate and set high expectations for the evening.

There truly is something for everyone at San Antonio's New World Wine & Food Festival. Today we will travel out to the Hill Country to enjoy a winemaker lunch at Becker Vineyards.

Photo Credit: Elizabeth R. Rose - Coral Brown of Brown Estate Vineyards

I remember some of my favorite Christmas trips. Christkindl Markt (Christmas Market) in Germany with light snow, horse-drawn coaches and warmly lighted sales booths. Trips with my mother to see the Christmas windows and White House (department store) Christmas tree in downtown San Francisco. A Christmas morning at the edge of the Grand Canyon in the cold pink glow of the sunrise.

There is so much to see and experience as the world dons holiday finery and celebrates.

• Warm up Your Holiday with Luminarias and Farolitos
• Enjoy the Christmas Boats at Lake Havasu
• Marvel at the Glow of the Luminarias at the Phoenix Desert Botanical Garden
• Enjoy a Christmas Day Buffet at the Historic La Fonda in Santa Fe
• Drive the Villages Around Acoma Sky City Christmas Eve on the Luminaria Tour

Photo Credit: Desert Botanical Garden

I used to work with a single woman who made a yearly pilgrimage to the Phoenix area to enjoy a communal meal with other women from across the United States, play a little golf, and enjoy the sun. I have other friends who just adore southwestern cuisine and look for a restaurant for a Thanksgiving meal that will feature cornbread, chiles, and, if the weather is right, a meal in front of an outdoor kiva fireplace.

A trip to the southwest is a great option for Thanksgiving, whether you are alone or with a large family. We found some great ideas to help you plan. Full Article on Thanksgiving in the Southwest.

Photo Credit: Elizabeth R. Rose - Thanksgiving Decoration - Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Any Texan will tell you that they are proud of being a Texan. They love their land and heritage. To better understand Texans make sure that you visit one of the small towns in Texas such as Brenham, not far from Houston. The beauty of small Texas towns is that the families who settled in the area are still there. Multi-generational homesteads and ranches are not unusual.

Find out how you can fly in to Houston and take a short drive to experience the land and the heritage of Washington County, Texas. Whether you stay at a B&B or a ranch, you will soon find out why Texans just love Texas! Full article on visiting Brenham, Texas

Photo Credit: Elizabeth R. Rose - The Ant Street Inn - Experiencing Historic Texas

Texas Ranch Life, near Brenham, Texas, is a place where you can enjoy a ranch experience with rolling hills and ancient oaks. But what will surprise guests are the collection of fairly large historic homes dotted throughout the property. These homes are fully furnished for guests and make up the B&B. The Lonesome Pine Ranch is a working ranch with one of the the largest registered Texas Longhorn herds.

Photo Credit: Elizabeth R. Rose

Judy Hedding, About Phoenix writer, points out... "Phoenix does not observe Daylight Saving Time." So be forewarned, when you travel throughout the west, the time you expect, may not be the correct time at all! Arizona does not observe Daylight Saving Time. This means that in Arizona we never change our clocks like most of the rest of the country does.

Having said that, I have to add that if you are traveling on Navajo Nation lands, you WILL observe Daylight Saving Time! Confused? Here is our Southwest Time Clock.

Or, you can be laid back and say, "when the sun goes down, it's time for a Margarita."

Photo Credit: Elizabeth R. Rose

Many artists sequester themselves in their private studios or in impossible to find rural homes. If you can visit an artist in their studio, you will have a greater understanding of their art. Roxanne Swentzell is a talented, internationally known ceramist and sculptor. From her Tower Gallery at the Poeh Center just north of Santa Fe, New Mexico she creates marvelous works of art that may find homes in museums or in private collections.

I recently visited the Tower Gallery and watched Roxanne work on a huge sculpture commissioned by the new Convention Center in Santa Fe. You, too can visit the gallery and if you are lucky you will find Roxanne working away. It's a memorable experience to see the beautiful gallery, watch the video of Roxanne's life and see her art. While you are there, stop in and visit the Poeh Museum for a better understanding of the Pueblo people and their art. More on visiting Roxanne Swentzell and the Tower Gallery.

Photo Credit: Elizabeth R. Rose

I was out at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix to see a preview of their new Agave and Yucca display and realized there is quite a bit going on there. On November 21st the Berlin Agave Yucca Forest and Allan Houser Sculpture Exhibit has their public opening. At 12 noon visitors can enjoy an amazing new placement of agaves, yuccas and huge joshua trees. And, throughout the garden, an installation of Allan Houser sculptures opens to the public. More on the Agave Yucca Forest and Allan Houser Sculpture installation..

Before these two new exhibits are available, consider a visit to the Monarch Butterfly exhibit. These large bright orange butterflies flutter throughout the exhibit through November 15th.

I'm looking forward to the Agave-Yucca Forest opening. You'll enjoy the massive Joshua Trees and the variety of agave plants from an elevated walkway.

Photo Credit: Elizabeth R. Rose

What a great thing to do for Veteran's Day! Take your family to the Aviation Nation Air Show at Nellis AFB in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Aviation Nation 2009 will pay homage to America's 21st century Air Force and its achievements in air, space and cyberspace, as well as salute the recent accomplishments of America's military, worldwide.

Nellis Air Force Base is home of the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds air demonstration squadron, and the team will close out their 2009 demonstration season with jaw-dropping maneuvers and intricate wing-tip to wing-tip formations in some of the world's fastest aircraft.

Some of the nation's top civilian aviators will join the Thunderbirds, including world-renowned MiG-17 pilot Bill Reesman, the four-ship Patriots Jet Team and The Horsemen--The world's only P-51 formation aerobatic team. More than 15 additional demonstrations including the U.S. Air Force's A-10 and F-22, U.S. Navy's F/A-18F and Royal Netherlands Air Force F-16 will take to the skies as well, ensuring the two-day event will have something for everyone.

Approximately 100 aircraft, covering everything from the earliest days of aviation to some of the nation's newest military aircraft, will also be on display.

Aviation Nation is the largest free public event in Nevada and draws spectators from around the world in celebration of Veterans Day weekend. Last year, the event attracted a crowd of more than 130,000.

Photo Credit: USAF - Nellis AFB

I was enjoying a sunny day in southern Arizona and stopped in to visit my favorite little town, Tubac, Arizona. As I enjoyed lunch at the Presidio Cafe and shopped at La Paloma de Tubac, I noticed the number of women enjoying outings as well. With a couple of B&B Inn's, the Embarcadero home rentals and the Tubac Golf Resort, there were some great places to stay and relax.

And, there are plenty of walking and shopping opportunities. I love walking along the Santa Cruz River on the De Anza Trail. Shopping and gallery hopping would certainly be fun to do with some women friends. In general, Tubac is a historic town with beautiful mountain views and, because Tubac is small, it's a relaxing place for a getaway weekend.

Photo Credit: Elizabeth R. Rose - La Paloma de Tubac