Making Wine

You may know Arlington, Texas, as the home of the popular amusement park Six Flags Over Texas and to the University of Texas at Arlington. Arlington has also evolved into a valuable place to visit to see your favorite sports team play ball and has boasted quite a few other attractions in the past several years. But what you may not know is that the city is home to thriving art, entertainment, and music scenes, with its historic downtown being at the heart of it all. 

Arlington is about halfway between Dallas and Fort Worth and 15 minutes south of the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. I was hosted at The Sanford House to see how Arlington has grown since treading my feet there years ago, but all opinions here are my very own.

Things To Do In Arlington

From sports venues or the huge shopping scene to a quaint historic downtown that’s recently been updated, there’s no doubt you’ll find something to do that your family will enjoy. 

You’ll always find something fantastic to do in any area of Arlington. The Urban Union district, in particular, is an up-and-coming area that helped put downtown back on the map. With a recent facelift, this area now offers fun, food, and a fabulous time with family and friends, all in a walkable area. I had a nice time touring the area and finding fun places to eat to share here.

1. Catalyst Creative Arts

On the corner of art and creativity in downtown Arlington is Catalyst Creative Arts — an art studio and event venue where art is for everyone! They offer birthday parties, girls’ nights out, lessons, and more. If you have something to celebrate, they will help you succeed with any art creation you want. And if you’re lucky, you may get to love on Cookie, the studio’s four-legged family member!

2. Stay And Spa At The Sanford House

One of Arlington’s premium boutique hotels, The Sanford House is located in historic downtown surrounded by gorgeous greenery, a beautifully manicured lawn, and a large courtyard that’s perfect for parties and weddings. You can choose between house rooms, cozy cottages, or villa suites next to the courtyard. It’s a perfect setting for romantic stays and girl trips, and it’s a female traveler’s best getaway – always safe, always beautiful. While you’re there, make a reservation for a self-care treatment at the spa. With each overnight stay, a hot breakfast is served in the Manor House dining room. I was hosted in a cottage for an overnight stay and loved their gated community.

3. Book A Charcuterie Board Pairing Event

Have you ever wanted to know how those wonderful charcuterie boards are put together? There is a right and wrong way to make one of these, and at Inspirations Catering & Events, that’s exactly what you can learn to do. Reservations are required for 2 to 18 people, and it’s located downtown.

4. Arlington Music Hall

From the first day of opening its doors in 1950, the Arlington Music Hall has been the go-to place for live entertainment. It’s still going strong in the heart of downtown and has a few of its original pieces still attached, including the marquee sign. The Music Hall is the perfect place to experience all types of music, comedy, and theater. Bring the whole family for a great time.

5. Texas Live!

Texas Live! is one of Arlington’s newest entertainment venues that combines entertainment, restaurants, and accommodations into one exciting destination. Next to the Texas Rangers’ Globe Life Park and AT&T Stadium is where you’ll find this spectacular event venue. It’s the perfect destination for sports fans, and a family destination as well. There are live outdoor events almost every night of the week, and if you’re hungry or thirsty, there’s plenty of restaurants and bars to explore. Texas Live! is also adjacent to Live! by Loews luxury hotel, the perfect setting for all the above. Put on your dancing shoes and come out to listen to country, rock, indie, pop, and electronic dance music … a little bit of everything for its diverse crowd.

6. Take A Tour Of AT&T Stadium

I’m sure you know, but in case you don’t, AT&T Stadium is home to the Dallas Cowboys. But did you know you and your family can take several different types of tours there? Some tours will appeal to all interests and ages and are available daily. Experience the field and throw the ball, marvel over the art displayed throughout the stadium, or opt for a self-guided tour. There’s something for everyone, for a price. Be a kid for the day and have fun!

7. Take A Hike At River Legacy Park

Inside River Legacy Park is eight miles of paved hike and bike trails, a 10-mile mountain bike trail, picnic areas, a pavilion you can reserve, gorgeous river overlooks, restrooms, playgrounds, and more. A canoe and kayak launch is also available — plan for a full day at this park.

8. Rent A Pontoon Boat On Lake Arlington

When I was growing up, my family had a deck boat similar to a pontoon boat that we took out on the water almost every weekend at our lake house. This, by far, was one adventure this girl couldn’t wait for. I loved sitting at the front of the boat, sometimes dangling my legs off the side and letting the wind blow my hair as I watched birds fly over and skiers jump over the wake. I caught myself daydreaming a lot. So if you’re in Arlington for a long period of time, rent a pontoon boat and let the wind blow your hair! Check out what all there is to do at Lake Arlington.

9. Enjoy Nature At Crystal Canyon Natural Area

Enjoy a walk along a half-mile gravel path inside this 40-acre area in its natural state. Crystal Canyon Natural Area is one of North Arlington’s hidden gems in nature. If you’re into geology at all, this area is for you. Fossilized clams, gypsum layers, and fine grain sandstone have been found here. Immerse yourself in nature while reading educational signs along the way. Benches are along the path in case you need to sit a spell.

Pro Tip: It’s a hilly path — wear good hiking shoes.

Best Restaurants In Arlington

Arlington is a metropolitan area, the second-largest city in the county next to Fort Worth. Restaurants in Arlington, TX, are widely diverse, with every type of cuisine imaginable, including a large mix of international cuisine. In downtown alone, you’ll find many quaint restaurants with wide-open spaces outside on lawns and patios.

Restaurant506 At The Sanford House

For contemporary American cuisine, head to Restaurant506, located at Arlington’s boutique hotel, The Sanford House. They serve lunch, dinner, weekend brunch, and a hot breakfast to their house guests. You do not have to stay at the hotel to eat at the restaurant. Reservations are recommended but not required. Closed Monday and Tuesday.

The Tipsy Oak

What’s better than eating dinner and listening to live music? Eating on The Tipsy Oak‘s large outdoor patio, of course! What a cool place to hang out at night! Save room from the day’s eats for house specials of sirloin, blackened salmon, or fried shrimp, or go for their mouthwatering hamburger and fries. It’s a very quaint and laidback place downtown to hang out with friends and family. Order up a big helping of their smoked brisket cheese fries — you’ll be glad you did!

Prince Lebanese Grill

Inside an old converted Sonic is home to Prince Lebanese Grill. Family is the center of it all. I love their story — it’s a must-read and can be found on their website. Prince Lebanese Grill is also a favorite place to eat among the locals, says Jaime, owner of Catalyst Creative Arts — he says he goes there at least twice a month just for the rice. If that doesn’t get you excited, Guy Fieri featured their famous rice recipe on Guy’s Big Bite and on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.

Legal Draft Beer Co.

A taproom with a huge outdoor covered patio serving up world-class full of flavor beer. Legal Draft Beer Co. is located in the Urban Union district of downtown Arlington. You must check out their locally brewed beer selection. I’m sure you’ll find a favorite, and if you can’t hang around, they sell beer to-go as well. Once a month, they hold an Urban Open-Air Market with fresh local vendors that come out and sell their wares.

Vila Brazil Steakhouse

When dinner rolls around, out comes a not-to-miss-steakhouse. Vila Brazil is one of Arlington’s premier dining experiences, and they aim to please. And they know a thing or two about pairing your favorite wine with your dinner of choice. Reservations are open, and dinner starts at 5 p.m.

The Social House

An indoor-outdoor bar-type restaurant with wide opened doors that serves local cuisine made right in their scratch kitchen. The Social House is set up with the bar in the middle and TVs all around. Watch your favorite team play here, and socialize with your friends on any given day — open every day of the week.

Cane Rosso

Everyone loves pizza! When you try Cane Rosso, you may not want to eat it anywhere else! Your dining experience can be indoor or out on their large yard with picnic tables. It’s a great place for the kiddos to run around. You’ll love knowing they use the highest quality ingredients, and they make their own dough and mozzarella. The perfect pair — Texas Rangers and pizza! Just look for the red pig out front.

Pro Tips

Locals love downtown Arlington, especially now that it’s been revamped and excellent family-friendly restaurants have come to the area. They love sitting outside on the patio of these restaurants.

Related Reading:

• 9 Wonderful Day Trips From Dallas
• Our 12 Favorite Bakeries In Fort Worth, Texas
• 7 Most Scenic Places In Texas Hill Country

Every year it happens and it always makes me smile.

I know it’s coming but it still somehow feels serendipitous, a seasonal joy, something of the miracle of existence: the first smell of fermenting grapes.

This year – and to be honest, like most years – it was Chardonnnay. But, to be honest, the variety doesn’t matter so much; the bouquet is pretty similar across them all – sweet, heady, immediately recognizable. I smell it and it makes me happy. But not all fermentation is delightful. It normally starts that way (although not always) but, as the sugars drop, things can go, well, unusual.

I haven’t worked a lot with Riesling but when I have, it seems to smell deeply unpleasant through ferment (had I not been warned at the time, I would have proposed remedial action). With ferment through, the aroma seems to undergo a metamorphosis of sorts and, while the beautiful butterfly shows hints of the once vulgar caterpillar it was, it is a new beast. Since starting out making wine, I never felt the winemaker had much of a claim over how their wine should be perceived (in the same way as the author or the artist cannot dictate the “meaning” of a work) but we, the people who shepherded it along, were privileged, in a sense, to behold the evolution. I don’t want to fan the flames of Riesling adoration (equal parts true, righteous, boring and futile) but it felt a bit like that watching it undergo the change. But there are elements of that across all wines.

Struggling or reductive ferments are particularly unpleasant to behold. Their contribution to the aromas of a cellar mid-harvest seems to far outweigh their size. It doesn’t take much of the burning rubbery, oniony affront to pollute the air. Like opening a jar of fresh kimchi, you don’t even need to be paying much attention for your nostrils to register. And, in a cellar situation, the emergency light comes on: stinky ferment. I’ve once confused the smell of a particularly smelly Syrah ferment for the smell of a burning rubber pump impeller. That’s quite something. If you want a comparison, the smell of a burned-out pump is a bit like that of burning plastic. It’s what happens when a pump has nothing to pump but keeps pumping nonetheless, it gets progressively hotter and the rubber impeller begins to melt. Sometimes it’s bad enough to see the smoke curling out of the end of the pipe at the end of the line. It’s more than enough to ruin a tank of juice or wine – that’s why winemakers smell everything all the time.

Anecdotally, that’s often how they die. Crouched at the top of a fermenter, checking a ferment before going home or on arrival to the winery (the two times when few people are around), they lift the lid to smell how things are going, the hit of carbon dioxide is so violent, they recoil, they trip or hit the back of their head, and the rest is particularly awful. I don’t know that carbon dioxide has an aroma as such – up close and outside of the regular ferment smells, it certainly seems to have a distinctive, acrid note – but you quickly get a feeling for it. It can lend an urgency to one’s desire to exit (cellar, room, fermenter) that is terrifyingly primordial. That fear and hurry is also, clearly, the route of accidents. Don’t ask me how I know, but in high enough concentrations it makes your eyes burn and water. This whole paragraph is a classic of cellartalk: equal parts pontification, brag, and a call for health and safety oversight, and a reminder that most conversation is founded on bad news.

Damp and drains

Outside of vintage, the smells of the cellar are generally unremarkable. Which is as it should be. Anything else might be cause for concern. Dampness – the odor of water on concrete or water in the drains – is sporadic, although I have worked in a cellar where there was a peculiarly damp/moldy smell that you’d get in certain areas and, no matter where you looked and cleaned, it would return occasionally. I’’m not sure if it was a combination of hot water washing and residual wine or lees. I suspect it was the drains.

© NSW DPI | Grape marc decomposes and quickly takes on a vinegary smell.

Drains. Extended periods spent in wineries lend an appreciation for the hitherto mundane aspects of winemaking. Cooling systems is one, the efficiency of drainage is another. A combination of lees, static water, and the warmth of spring/summer is a combination I can only describe as utterly gopping. (I owe my unwanted knowledge of the hardy, rat-tailed maggot to my dealings with winery drainage systems.) In fact, lees is a regular source of aromatic horror. The French distinguish gross lees (the solids from juice, or “bourbes”) from wine lees (the post-ferment solids at the bottom of a tank or barrel, or “lies”, as in “sur lie”). Gross lees quickly become gross. A lot of wineries will combine them in a tank either to filter or to send out for distillation and the chances that they start fermenting are high, no matter how cold your tank, or how much sulfur you chuck in – literally. I’ve sat at the top of a fermenting lees tank (the most vile, fetid odor – effectively an uber-reductive ferment, smelling of the worst organic drain – you can imagine), emptying bags of sulfur into the top in an effort to slow the beast.

Other bad smells include those of decomposing marc. By-and-large, most wineries will ensure this gets cleaned out – grapes (pressed or otherwise) and stems quickly turn acetic and smell like vinegar. Not only does it smell pretty high pretty quickly, it’s also a vector for fruit flies – the bane of winemakers year-round, but especially in autumn. While it should be a rare smell in a winery, it is hard to avoid discovering it somewhere during harvest.

Another cellar trigger for me, aromatically, is the exhaust of an LPG forklift. In fact, I reckon that, on a perennial basis, this is one the most evocative smells around a winery. Forklifts are used all the time, even in a lot of small outfits: moving barrels, tipping fruit, transporting dry goods, carrying people to make repairs, and so on. That smell of an LPG forklift exhaust is a particular mercaptan, immediately recognizable and ubiquitous (something like rotten eggs or cabbage or fart but it’s somewhat unique to LPG – I almost like it).

I like it in the same way I “like” the smell of welded or ground stainless steel. That was possibly my first major winery aroma: I’d turned up for harvest at a new winery in Spain and welders were still fixing the cooling jackets on the stainless steel tanks. It smells like, well, like burning metal. It’s burnt and not quite sweet, it’s metallic – obviously – but if you’ve been around a sawed a bit of metal before, you’ll get the idea. It’s industrial. Before long, you’re around people doing all sorts of things to stainless steel fittings: grinding, welding and so on.

Wooden it be good?

From the ridiculous to sublime, one of the best harvest odors in a winery is that of new oak. Every year, it is irresistible. There is surely a primordial trigger to our love of the smell of smoke, but that combination of warm, almost sweet, oak and toast is sublime. Like grandad’s woodwork bench and a handful of roasted coffee beans. We all lose ourselves a little bit in the smell of new oak. Combine that with the sweet, creamy, citrus smell of fermenting Chardonnay – in fact, a clean ferment of almost anything – and you’d be forgiven for wondering why anyone would pass up on the resulting wine. Screw it all, you’d drink the cellar dry.

Indeed, oak or no, most ferments smell fantastic. They generally go a bit awkward in the last stage but they’re still pretty lovely (the aromas of gauche, freshly fermented wine are generally tempered by its shocking dryness on the palate). Then it comes to pressing and the smells of marc. If pressed white grapes smell green (a sort of fruity, herbal, fresh “green” smell), then pressed red ferments are heady, autumnal. They have a certain high, fruity-resin combination; it’s neither unpleasant nor particularly attractive. Some people save marc and cook sausages in it and, as a dish, it’s much like the basic medium: individual, unique, but not exactly we-should-do-this-all-the-time. It’s very evocative, though. Grappa gives you a bit of an idea.

Last year, I wrote a piece about the sounds of the winery. As I walked into the winery this year and smelled that first ferment I knew the follow-up would be easy enough. What’’ hard is finding descriptors. But that’s half of tasting anyway.

There are many reasons to take a cycling tour in the United Kingdom. You’ll cover a larger area than you would if you were walking, while still having that outdoor experience you wouldn’t get in a vehicle. What’s more, you’ll take in plenty of stunning scenery, get great exercise, and have a lot of fun. Whatever area you are visiting, there is a bike tour for you, and many of them offer exciting stops and extras. There are tours for travelers of all fitness levels. 

Here are five great bike tours spanning different areas of the UK.

1. National Forest E-Bike Holidays, National Forest, England

Covering 200 square miles, the National Forest straddles the counties of Derbyshire, Leicestershire, and Staffordshire in the center of the UK. The region has more than 400 woodlands made up of a mix of ancient, mature, and more recent plantings and offers a varied landscape that’s rich in history. In the spring, the woodlands are full of blossoms, bluebells, and wild garlic. In the autumn, the National Forest puts on a spectacular display as the leaves change, making this a beautiful area to cycle through.

National Forest E-Bike Holidays are self-guided cycling tours, so there’s no need to keep up with everyone else — you can travel at your own pace. Your accommodations are booked for you, and you’ll bike 20 to 30 miles between stops. You’ll receive maps and guides to help you navigate. Most visitors book in pairs, though you can book as a single person if you prefer. Top-quality Riese & Muller electric bikes with built-in GPS navigation are delivered to your first hotel. All your luggage will be taken to your next hotel for you. The tour organizers live in the area and are always on hand if you have any questions or need assistance. There is also a welcome meeting so that participants can get all the information they need. 

Pro Tip: This area is the home of beer! The National Brewery Museum is in the National Forest, and guests can spend a night at a fabulous microbrewery known for its wonderful food and beer. There are also magnificent beer gardens and craft breweries along the way. If you’re a beer lover, make sure to take in the brewery stay.

2. BSpoke’s Grand Tour, Scotland

From the Cairngorms to the Tay Valley, this 240-mile road-bike journey is a classic cycling adventure that finishes with a celebratory freewheel down the Royal Mile in Edinburgh. This fully guided tour by the professionals at BSpoke is suitable for intermediate riders and includes seven days of cycling and six nights of accommodation. You’ll enjoy additional attractions en route, from the site of the Battle of Culloden to the tour and tasting at the Lochnagar whisky distillery. The hotels and inns on the route provide hearty meals, and the organizers hand out home-baked goods to nibble on along the way. You’ll receive plenty of support from the group guide and a logistics vehicle, and your luggage will be transferred for you. 

Pro Tip: This tour has limited run times. Other dates may be available upon request, so check ahead before making travel plans. This is a tour for intermediate riders, so consider your fitness level before you book.

3. Cornish Cycle Tours, Cornwall, England

Cornish Cycle Tours runs a variety of tours of some of the most popular Cornish destinations. The outfit offers a choice of routes for both casual and serious cyclists looking to explore Cornwall on their own steam. These include a sport cycle tour, an e-bike tour, and a leisure cycle tour. The latter is more about taking in the scenery and taking your time. The self-guided tours include a detailed map of the local area, maintenance support, pre-arranged accommodations, and luggage transfers to a range of inns and guesthouses. Bikes can be hired directly from Cornish Cycle Tours. The e-bikes are perfect for those looking for some assistance up the hills.

A popular choice is the Poldark Tour. Taking place over eight days, this tour gives cyclists a chance to explore some of the historic locations that have appeared on the show. It’s a great circuit of the southern Cornish peninsula.

4. Roam Tours, Wales

Roam is a family-run company owned and operated by Joe Armstrong, a former Team GB cyclist and international expedition leader, and Gabrielle Coope, a yoga teacher and forest bathing guide. By running just one group at a time, the Roam team aims to offer a very personal service, from pre-trip communication to support on the ground. Joe and Gabrielle have a keen interest in responsible travel. They offer train-travel-friendly locations, support local businesses, and avoid single-use plastics.

Ideal for travelers looking for a slow-paced adventure off the beaten track, Roam’s itineraries wind through stunning and occasionally wild countryside. There are four route options in South Snowdonia, the Cambrian Mountains, and the Black Mountains. Roam provides gravel bikes, allowing participants to veer down unpaved lanes and forest tracks for a more relaxed and adventurous experience. Groups are given a GPS navigation device preloaded with a route to follow to keep them on the right path. They also receive first-rate bikepacking bags to neatly stow everything they’ll need for the trip. Roam offers on-the-ground backup support in case travelers encounter any difficulties, although guests are encouraged to complete the journey unaided for a more rewarding experience. Each day concludes in a cozy country pub. 

Pro Tip: The mountainous terrain of Wales and the daily distances of up to 35 miles make these tours fairly challenging. Roam’s trips are ideal for active, fit people with an adventurous mindset and a love for the great outdoors. Up to 25 percent of the route will be on gravel, so being a confident rider is recommended.

The hyper-local travel company Hidden Tracks, led by veteran British Cycling coach Charlie Codrington, takes cyclists of all experience levels on guided rides around and outside London. Participants navigate bridleways, cycle tracks, woodland paths, and the odd quiet road. Rides take anywhere from 4.5 hours to a whole day. Go “Through the Magic Door,” explore the seven windmills on the Miller’s Trail, or set out “Hunting Wombles” across Wimbledon and along the Thames. Investigate routes around Hampton Court Palace, go off-roading all the way from London to Brighton, or follow the pilgrimage trail from Southwark to Canterbury.

During months of lockdown exercise sessions, Charlie discovered these hidden routes linking up off-road areas around London. Now he’s plotted them out for others to enjoy. Not only will riders see unexpected scenery as the seasons unfold — including ancient woodlands, bluebell woods, and carpets of wild garlic and cow parsley — but they will also pick up off-road cycling tips along the way. Best of all, they’ll be treated to Charlie’s famous vanilla fudge and flapjacks!

Pro Tip: Hidden Tracks takes groups of up to 10 people, so you’ll most likely be cycling with other riders. The tours are suitable for novices and experienced riders alike, and children over 14 years old are allowed to join.

Destinations

Europe

Germany

News and Tips

Travel News

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It’s a sign that Germany’s COVID-19 restrictions have been effective: The German government has now agreed to allow people who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to skip testing and quarantine when entering the country. The rules will also apply to people who have fully recovered from the virus.

It must be pointed out, however, that the rules will not apply to travelers arriving from countries deemed “high risk” due to high case counts of COVID-19 infections or from areas where COVID-19 variants remain particularly concerning.

The looser rules also coincide with areas of Germany lifting night-time curfews and easing other restrictions — such as those that restrict dining and shopping.

“Let us be courageous and vigilant — let us reopen public and economic life and always keep in sight the development of the pandemic,” Chancellor Angela Merkel said, an Associated Press story reports. “It would be depressing if, because we want too much too quickly, we had to return to restrictions that we all want to leave behind.”

Cause For Optimism

As vaccines become more readily available, Germany’s rate of vaccination has increased correspondingly.

Germany has a population of approximately 83 million. Official figures show that a third of those citizens have received at least one dose of a vaccine — as of last Monday — and nearly 10 percent have received both doses of the vaccine, a USA Today article reports.

As you would expect, the rate of infection is falling as the rate of vaccination increases. Indeed, last Wednesday, the rate of infections in Germany over the past seven days fell to 107.8 per 100,000 people — the lowest in more than a month after peaking near 170 in late April, Bloomberg notes.

That said, while there is cause for optimism, it must nonetheless be tempered due to the reality of the ongoing pandemic. Germany’s Health Minister Jens Spahn even warned recently against “excessively high spirits” because the incidence rate is still too high, Bloomberg reports.

Cautious Reopening

As the rate of infection falls and the rate of vaccination climbs, areas of Germany are working to reopen.

For instance, earlier this week, the Berlin state government agreed to lift its overnight curfew and ease restrictions on shopping beginning May 19, and it’s allowing outdoor dining to resume May 21, a Reuters article reports. Similar plans are underway in other regions, such as the western state of Rhineland-Palatinate, which plans to allow indoor dining to resume June 2.

Chancellor Merkel’s Cabinet approving the rule that allows people who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or have fully recovered from infection to avoid testing and quarantine when entering the country is intended to further open the country and pave the way to make summer travel easier. The question, however, is this: How will German citizens and visitors prove they are fully vaccinated?

The answer, German Health Minister Spahn explained in the USA Today article, is that the country plans to roll out a so-called “digital immunity certificate” by the end of June. This certificate will serve as proof of vaccination.

What’s more, the certificate can be stored in an app that can be used in place of the World Health Organization’s vaccine booklet. The goal is for the digital immunity certificate to be compatible with a vaccine certification system currently in development by the European Union, he explained.

“If we manage to do this for the EU in the coming weeks, then we’ll likely set a global benchmark,” Spahn said.

Know Before You Go

It does need pointing out that, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, restrictions are still in place limiting entry into Germany from the U.S. Currently, entry from the U.S. is only permitted for a few urgent exceptions — and proof of urgency is required. More information about the restrictions and guidelines may be found here.

On a recent road trip to Coastal Mississippi from my home near Houston, I traveled by way of St. Tammany Parish in Louisiana. It’s also called Northshore, as in the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain, north of New Orleans.

If you’re imagining live oaks dripping with Spanish moss and historic Creole homes, you’re on the right track.

I had stopped at the Blue Elbow Swamp next to the Texas Welcome Center on Interstate 10 before entering Louisiana. Signs along the marsh’s boardwalk warned of American alligator crossings and instructed me to give them 6 feet of space should I encounter any. I figured that if I saw an alligator on the walkway, I’d double that distance and get the heck out of there as fast as my feet would take me.

And I was still in Texas.

Louisiana has more alligators than all the other states combined. I decided that, given the good chance I would see an alligator on the hikes I planned to take through the state’s parks, I had better learn more about them. Knowledge is power, or so they say.

After reviewing alligator farm tours, I chose the Insta-Gator Ranch & Hatchery in Covington, Louisiana, because of its great reviews and commitment to safe social-distancing practices and smaller group sizes. I won’t keep you in suspense — it was a fantastic, fun, and educational tour. Here’s why it was an unforgettable experience.

I Got An Education 

My tour began with a talk by Alex Price, who has worked at Insta-Gator for 22 years. This interactive program had everyone in the group asking questions and tossing out wild guesses. Alex did a great job keeping participants of all ages engaged — from the 5-year-old boy who seemed to be having his best day ever to the 80-something-year-old woman who was equally impressed but more subdued.

As a species, the American alligator has been around about 37 million years. Alligator hunting in Louisiana is documented as far back as the early 1800s. After the number of animals in the wild declined in the 1950s to an estimated 150,000 alligators in the wetlands, Louisiana banned hunting from 1962 until 1972. Habitat loss had added to the animals’ falling numbers.

I Learned About Conservation

Alligator ranching began in Louisiana in 1986, with the Insta-Gator Ranch & Hatchery opening in 1989. While the hunting ban increased the number of wild alligators to about 500,000, it wasn’t until ranches began harvesting, hatching, and releasing alligators that alligator numbers improved enough for the animals to be taken off the endangered species list.

Alligator ranches like Insta-Gator harvest eggs from the wild (a female alligator lays 20 to 60 eggs in her nest in June), incubate and hatch the eggs, and release about 10 percent of the animals back into the wild when they are around 4 feet long. Of the alligators that hatch in the wild, only about 6 to 8 percent survive to reach that length. The little guys have lots of predators, including bigger alligators.

Alligator farming, along with the state’s measures to preserve alligator habitat, has boosted the wild alligator population to roughly three million. Alligator hunting and farming, for meat and their hides, is a $50 million industry for Louisiana.

I Found Out That I Can Be A Hatchling’s Mom

Alex told our tour group about his experience harvesting alligator eggs. Once the eggs are back at the hatchery, they are incubated. If you visit in August or early September, you can hatch an egg. 

The owner, John Price, told me that each person is given an egg to hatch, but each family has only one egg at a time so that everyone in the party can watch the birth. The alligator may hatch a second later or 20 minutes later. The hatchling may need a little encouragement, like tapping on the shell or help with opening the tough membrane. Some visitors are surprised that it’s a messy, gooey experience.

You can hold your baby alligator and take it for its first swim in the hatchery’s pool.

Pro Tip: Hatching typically begins August 8 and continues until September 6, peaking on August 22. If your trip to Northshore coincides with these dates, book a hatching experience. It’s at the top of my list for my return trip.

I Touched An Alligator

At Insta-Gator, you can have a hands-on experience at any time of the year. Alex’s talk on alligators covered Anatomy 101 — with a close look at a 4-foot-long alligator’s third eyelid, ears, and teeth. Their underbellies are surprisingly smooth, and their backs are covered with armored plates of bone under skin. 

As an adult, this alligator would be over 10 feet long and weigh about 800 pounds. He could run about 12 miles per hour for a short distance and swim about 20 miles per hour. If we met on a trail, I would want my top speed to be at least 13 miles per hour!

We learned that alligators are opportunistic feeders. In the wild, they lie in wait for prey with just their nostrils and eyes above the surface of the water. They eat birds, turtles, small mammals, and fish that get close enough to their powerful jaws to be swallowed whole. 

Alex said I wouldn’t be on an alligator’s menu. I was already feeling better about my chances of survival should I meet an alligator in the wild, which I did the very next day.

I Caught An Alligator

Our tour continued with a trip to the barn to feed alligators a few marshmallows. The walk through the barn started with 2-foot-long alligators and ended with ones that were five or six years old and 8 feet long.

After touring the barn, you can opt to have two more up-close alligator experiences. With “Hold A Gator,” you’re photographed with a 4-foot-long alligator in your lap. 

The “Catch Alligators!” add-on allows you to catch and hold a smaller alligator (anywhere from 9 inches to 3 feet long depending on the time of year you visit) from a counter-height pool. No stooping over required. This was the highlight.

Pro Tip: These add-ons are available for a small extra fee when you book your tour.

Pro Tips

Insta-Gator talks about alligators from “hatchling to handbag.” If you’d like more than a photo of your visit, you’re in luck. With 10 percent of the alligators being released back into the wild after hatching at the ranch and about 2,000 others remaining in the barns for visitors to see, the rest are harvested for meat and leather.

The gift shop is the place to buy quality U.S.-tanned leather goods produced from alligators farmed in the heart of Cajun Country.

The educational part of the tour is outdoors, but it’s covered, and there are benches. The barns are a short walk away. All facilities are wheelchair accessible. Allow about 1.5 hours for your visit, not including a hatching experience.

For more days trips from New Orleans, see this page.

If you lost part of your thumb, do you think it would grow back?

Michael Levin, a developmental biologist at Tufts University, writes, “Regeneration is not just for so-called lower animals. You may or may not know that human children below 11 years old can regenerate their fingertips.”

I’m way more than 11 years old, but last year I got to test this theory.

It happened the day three cows died because, I believe, of a change in feed. That morning husband Bruce and I delivered a bale of hay and a tub of mashed berries leftover from making wine (also known as “must”).

Three of the dominant cows, Missy, Kelsie, and Penny, got to the fruit ahead of the others, binging on the delicious, fermented berries. A cow’s digestive system is designed to digest hay, grass, and moderate amounts of fruit. Eat too much fruit, and bloat is the result. Gas builds up and cannot escape. Those three cows over-ate and became victims of bloat. I found Missy and Kelsie dead in the field and a third, Penny, struggling for her life.

The veterinarian administered medicine via a tube down Penny’s throat to relieve her bloat. Penny was somewhat better after the vet left but could not get up; her stomach still distended. A dairy farmer, who has seen this condition with his milking cows, suggested that I put a hose down the cow’s throat into her stomach to help relieve the pressure.

Cows only have one set of top teeth in front but have a complete set of back teeth –– uppers and lowers. I reached into Penny’s mouth to position the hose, and my thumb slipped between her back teeth just as she chomped down.

“Ouch!” I extracted my hand and stumbled away, dizzy with pain. The end of my right thumb was gone –– thumbnail and all.

The Emergency Room doctor gave me a pain killer, then numbed and bandaged my thumb. She also suggested I see a hand specialist. The specialist’s advice was simple: wait. He said, “Keep your thumb clean and wait.” He was right.

I’m more than five times older than the 11-year-old whom Levin mentioned in the New Yorker article, but still, my thumb re-grew. It’s a little crooked and not as sensitive to touch as my left thumb, but it’s there, complete with a thumbnail. I don’t know how my body’s programming knew to recreate the end of my thumb, but it did.

In that same article, Levin asks, “Why couldn’t human-growth programs be activated for other body parts –– severed limbs, failed organs, even brain tissue damaged by stroke?” I wonder.

That wasn’t my only trip to the ER for a cow-related injury, and there will probably be more. I made it through, but unfortunately, after a brave fight, Penny died later that night.

Some lessons are expensive and not broadly illuminating. Here are my takeaways:

■Feed your cows fruit in moderation.

■Keep your hands out of the back of a cow’s mouth.

■If you ignore Lessons 1 and 2 and lose part of your thumb, it should come back.

(Carole Soule is co-owner of Miles Smith Farm, in Loudon, where she raises and sells beef, pork, lamb, eggs and other local products.)

Have you noticed the smiling crescent moon and the earthshine? That’s when you can see the rest of the moon as a dark disk. That pale glow on the unlit part of the crescent moon is light reflected from Earth. Saturday, the moon and Mars will have a close approach.

And when we last did some stargazing, the Big Dipper was in the east looking like a question mark, now it’s directly overhead and has turned 45-degrees and is sideways, compared to the question mark it first was. We have always used the cup end of the Big Dipper to find things, this time we’re going to use the very tip of the handle. If we go back to the sideways question mark reference, this is the bottom of the question mark. This star in the constellation is called Alkaid. If you look for the next brightest star after it should be Arcturus.

Arcturus is the third brightest star in the sky, according to Constellation-Guide.com. It is also part of the constellation called Boötes. The constellation’s name comes from the Greek word Βοώτης, Boōtēs, which means ox driver, plowman or herdsman. Each O is pronounced separately and stress is placed on the second syllable. It was first catalogued by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the second century. The name of this constellation might sound familiar because there are three meteor showers associated with it: the January Boötids (which was written about in January), the June Boötids and the Quadrantids.

As its Greek meaning indicates, in mythology, Boötes is traditionally depicted as a herdsman with two hunting dogs on a leash and a club in his other hand. In the sky, Boötes follows Ursa Major around the pole. In one story, the constellation represents a ploughman driving the oxen in the Ursa Major constellation, followed by his two dogs, Asterion and Chara (represented by the constellation Canes Venatici, the Hunting Dogs). The ploughman’s oxen are tied to the polar axis and their movement keeps the skies in constant rotation, as the Big and Little dippers.

Most commonly, Boötes is taken to represent Arcas, son of Zeus and Callisto, daughter of the Arcadian King Lycaon. Arcas was brought up by his grandfather, the king, who one day decided to test Zeus by serving him his own son for a meal. Zeus, however, saw through Lycaon’s intentions, transformed the cruel king into a wolf, killed all his sons with thunderbolts and brought Arcas back to life.

Zeus’ wife Hera, having heard of her husband’s infidelity, transformed Callisto into a bear. Callisto roamed the woods until years later she met her son, who was now grown up. Arcas didn’t recognize his mother and began to chase her. Callisto hid herself in a temple, where he couldn’t hurt her without risking being convicted to death for defiling a sacred place. To avoid a tragedy, Zeus placed both of them in the sky; Callisto as Ursa Major and Arcas as Boötes.

Ursa Major may sound familiar because the Big Dipper is an asterism in the constellation Ursa Major also known as the Great Bear. Asterisms are prominent groups of stars that form patterns but are smaller than, or even part of, a constellation, according to Space.com.

In another story, Boötes is taken to represent Icarius, a grape grower who once invited Dionysus to visit his vineyards. The god was so impressed that he gave Icarius the secret of making wine. Icarius followed the recipe and enjoyed the beverage so much that he invited all his friends to try it. They, however, enjoyed it a bit too much and, when they woke up the next day with bad hangovers, they assumed Icarius had tried to poison them. Angry, they decided to murder him in his sleep. Dionysus was saddened by the death of his friend and decided to place Icarius among the stars. In another myth, Boötes is credited for inventing the plough, which prompted the goddess Ceres to place him in the heavens.

Look Up appears in the weekend edition. If you have any astronomical questions or facts you’d like to share email news@smdailyjournal.com with the subject line “Look Up.”