Current mood:	content
Entry tags:	food, newsy891, travel

Augusta isn't just for Golfing
One of newsy891 ideas for stuff to do on this trip, was to visit one of the local wineries up in Augusta (Missouri not Georgia).

Actually I feel the need to point out a correction after some confusion has been caused by one of my previous travellogues. When I said my V Australia flight was diverted to Ontario, I meant Ontario, California, not the Canadian province which houses Toronto as its capital.

While the winery don't do tours during the week they do do tastings, so what the hell off we go. It was a very pretty day (quite warm supposedly). We took the drive out of Saint Charles westwards and watched suburbia fade into small rural area. We stopped briefly at a little scenic stopping point on the Katy Trail, an overland hiking trail along a strip left behind after a railway was ripped up that travels across the state.

Under blue skies we wandered around and took some photos before returning to the car and driving past the remnants of a weapons manufacturing depot which features a huge concrete plug. Some of those weapons were atomic so the plug has to remain in place for a while (4.5 billions year half-life for that waste, don't think I'll wait for decertification).

The road gets narrower and less signed, quickly becoming the farmland imagery of so many US made telemovies complete with 60% of building consisting of whitewashed farming buildings. It's the picture postcard Uunited States. August itself is perched on a small hill with two wineries spread across its slopes. We went to Mount Pleasant Winery and wandered around the showroom before buying some tastings which cleared the sinuses beautifully. The have a nice Cabernet Sauvignon, the Norton, drier again than a Cab Sav had such a smoothe finish to it I bought a bottle for myself to consume at mealtimes during my stay. Newsy was impressed with a Villagio which we grabbed to take to Thanksgiving later in the week.

After asking the guy running the shop where we could get something to eat after finding their grill was closed during the week he pointed us towards Cafe Bella, a small but cosy converted house resteraunt over on one side of Augusta. Here's the menu. When our quite friendly waitress took our orders she announced the soup of the day was Minestrone and we "ooo"ed at each other. A small serving made for me a perfect entree, it was hearty, tasty and packed with vegies and tortelini without becoming too thick and chewy. Considering how cold it is here for me it was perfect. The Cafe Chicken Salad arrived as a chicken in a sauce of pecan, bacon, cranberries and creamy dressing, with some crusty foccacia and apple coleslaw on a bed of lettuce and tomato which was just delicious. We shared a chocolate lava desert and left feeling quite content.

The skies were turning on us so we headed for home. Newsy has some term papers to write while meanwhile I'm getting a scracthy throat and snuffly nose which I suspect is cause by Birdie, and not made better after Birdie gave me a hug today, she climbed onto my shoulder then wrapped herself around my face more or less. Very cute and all that but no I appear to be paying for it.

Still a beautfiul winters day.

Return of the Vehicular Culture Shock, Buick Sable, Mitsubishi Eclipse, Pontiac Grand Prix, Dodge Intrepid, Chevrolet Monte Carlo, Dodge Charger, Chevrolet Impala, Buick Rendezvous