Join Janice on another Girlfriend Getaway: An eight-day cruise aboard the M/Y Grace. Departing from San Cristobal with visits to the Genovesa, Isabela, Fernandina, Bartolome, Santa Cruz, the Charles Darwin Research Station, and Hood (Española) Island.

Mama sweetly reached up and took my hand, led me into the gleaming marble bathroom, stripped me down to nothing and then reached into her black bag for the first of many rubber-banded bundles of herbs she used for my rub down.

Saving the best for last, we had an incredible dinner at, Distrito. Chef Jose Garces, a James Beard Award winner had escaped my notice before dining here, but he’s on my short-list to watch out for now.

Another appreciative nod to the Scotts happens at the Saturday Night Scotch Tastings, where for $35 you can enjoy a guided tasting of the premium labels, food pairings and a hand-rolled cigar.

Dick Erath, who was instrumental in creating Oregon’s billion-dollar wine industry and is now growing grapes in Arizona, says that “We’re just scratching the surface here.”

The Phoenix Phoodie scene is phenomenal. Amazingly talented chefs can be found cooking their toques off everywhere from funky food trucks to Kai, the only (well-deserved) 5 star restaurant in Arizona, with impeccably well-trained staff everywhere, which is always a bonus.

Unfortunately, we encountered some freaky cold weather with torrential downpours so all we could manage was a very slow and careful drive from Point A (Asheville) to point B (Blowing Rock). But the views were still fantastic.

I always assumed that the estate was called Biltmore, because they just kept “building more” but it actually gets its name from combining two words: “Bildt” the region in Holland where the Vanderbilt family originated, and “more,” an old English word meaning upland rolling hills