The Destination Guide

The DG crew is heading to the Black Hills of South Dakota this March to film Hotel Alex Johnson for an episode of The Destination Guide. Located in historic downtown Rapid City, the hotel is walking distance to galleries, bistros, museums and specialty shops, plus a 25-minute drive to Mount Rushmore. Built by railroad executive Alex Johnson in 1927, the grand hotel has long been a favorite stop of celebrities and presidents. On the National Register of Historic Places, Hotel Alex Johnson combines elements of German tutor architecture with Lakota Sioux culture. The six-floor hotel now has 143 modern guestrooms, five banquet rooms, a café, sky bar and pub.  Learn more at http://www.alexjohnson.com.

While honeymooning on the Island of Ischia, on the northern tip of Naples, Drew French fell in love with brick oven pizza.  Two years later, in 2008, he expressed his love by opening his first Your Pie location in Athens, Ga. The concept is to take home-made, hand-tossed dough, family-recipe sauces and fresh toppings, then use them to create your own pie. It’s then fired up in about 5 minutes thanks to those brick ovens. In case you don’t want to design your own pizza, Your Pie does have some favorites on the menu, plus calzones, paninis, bread bowl salads and gelato. Learn more at http://www.yourpie.com.

The Destination Guide has named Jazz’d Tapas Bar the Best Club in Savannah. An underground bar, tapas restaurant and live music venue on the fringe of historic Ellis Square, Jazz’d has won awards for everything from its wait staff to its flavored martinis. The chic restaurant/club offers live jazz, swing and blues six nights a week, plus small plates such as She Crab Stew, Chicken Lettuce Wraps, Potato Leek Frittata with Mango Fig Chutney and Chorizo Stuffed Mushrooms. It’s been called one of the “sexiest places in the world” and “Savannah’s best overall restaurant.” Learn more at http://jazzdsavannah.com/.

The Destination Guide has named The Book Gift Shop the Best Place for ‘Midnight’ Fans in Savannah. The Book, of course, refers to “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil,” the 1994 best seller that turned Savannah’s tourism trade on its ear. The Book Gift Shop not only is the official headquarters for ‘Midnight’ information and memorabilia, but they also conduct a 2 1/2-hour tour through the historic district and Bonaventure Cemetery.  Find out more at http://www.midnightinsavannah.com/.

Congratulations to the Thunderbird Inn, The Destination Guide’s Best Hotel in Savannah. Although not the fanciest or oldest digs in the city, The Thunderbird is hands-down the quirkiest and most-fun place to stay in Savannah’s historic district. Built in 1964, the hotel combines everything you’d want in a modern room with a funky retro vibe.  Thunderbird’s 42 renovated rooms range from doubles, queens or kings to suites. Check out their specials at http://thethunderbirdinn.com/.

The Destination Guide’s Best Hot Dogs in Savannah, SubDogs HotDoggery opened in 2011, about 10 years after owner Matt Jording first developed the concept. Jording’s background in fine dining shows in SubDog’s gourmet twists on this all-American classic. How about The Dog Caprese with diced tomato, mozzarella, basil and a balsamic drizzle? The Scooter with diced avocado, sliced cucumber, sprouts and a champagne Dijon aioli? Or The Tree Hugger — a custom falafel dog topped with cucumber, tomato, onion, sprouts and tziki sauce? SubDog’s even got corndog nuggets (Dog Nughts) by the ½ bucket or bucket. Learn more at www.subdogshotdoggery.com.

The Destination Guide launched its Best of Asheville competition on Feb. 8, and Beer City USA has been rewriting the record books ever since. For starters, an astounding 65 people have commented on Mountain Springs Cabins’ video, saying things like, “One of my favorite places in the world.” In addition to that, nearly 7,700 people have watched The Boggs Collective’s video, only to be outdone (so far) by Creatures Cafe’s video, which is holding strong at 15,600 views through seven days. And the best news is, there’s still three weeks to go!

It’s coming down to the wire in Richmond, where, as of 10:35 a.m. on Feb. 15, The Empress restaurant leads Bandito’s Burrito Lounge by just two votes! The competition ends tonight at midnight, so we’ll be watching closely to see who comes out on top.

The Destination Guide has named Red Dog Pet Resort & Spa the Best Pet Resort in New England. A 43,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art boarding facility, Red Dog is Disney World for dogs. Among its features:  24/7 on-site professional staffing; a wide array of boarding options, including luxury suites; daycare with dedicated indoor and outdoor play spaces; indoor aquatic center; pickup-and-delivery service; grooming and spa services; geriatric and special needs canine services; chiropractic care, massage and Reiki, retail pet boutique and training and behavior modification. We were blown away and you will be, too. Learn more at www.bostonreddog.com.

The Destination Guide has named Polka Dots Gifts and Accessories Savannah’s Best Gift Store. Located on Whitemarsh Island, Polka Dots was opened by Jackie Pickering in 2008. The former educator has done an amazing job of stocking the store’s shelves with everything from the fashionable (Vera Bradley) to the funky (a cup the reads “One day big butts will be in style again.”) Pickering states her goal as providing “people with a pleasant place to shop where they can always find that perfect gift, even if that gift is for themselves!” We think she’s achieved it. Find out more at http://www.polkadotssavannah.com.