★★ (2 Stars)

I went on this ghost hunting tour a few years ago during Halloween and it was, well. . .  read below.

I’m a skeptic to begin with and this tour offered nothing that made me think any different.  We met up downtown in front of the Alamo where the tour guide, Martin Leal, led us to the Emily Morgan and to various other buildings merely explaining why each of these places was thought to be haunted.  We didn’t actually do any kind of “ghost hunting” until the end where he let us play with EMF readers and laser guided thermal readers in front of the Alamo.  Again, nothing spectacular.  But, for $10, and being that we went during Halloween, it was somewhat entertaining.  I don’t know if I would go again or recommend it to anyone, though.

I researched Martin Leal, the tour guide and owner, and apparently there is some bickering between his company and Alamo City Ghost Tours’ website regarding the legitimacy of Martin Leal.  Both websites challenge each other in a he-said-she-said type of squabble; kind of annoying.   So, do your research before taking any ghost tour in San Antonio and just go with the one that feels right.

★★★★ (4 Stars)

The Wine Edventures, winery tour, is how I got started to know and understand what wine really is. Before I took their tour, I could have had any wine and said, “these all taste the same.” But, the Wine Edventures tour gave me a better understanding of how to appreciate wine. I learned how wine was made, what to taste for, and various wine terminology.

We stopped at some of the best wineries in Santa Barbara County. The gentleman giving the tour never hesitated to answer the questions my friends and I had no matter how basic they were. It was a very pleasant experience and I would definitely take this tour again. To oenophiles and newbie wine tasters alike, I highly recommend Wine Edventures.

They pick up at various hotels around Santa Barbara which makes it really convenient.  You jump on their tour bus and don’t have to worry about drinking and driving.  The price of around $100 per person seemed somewhat steep at first, but considering you’re not driving, and you taste about 20 or more wines, it is well worth it.

I’ve been to various wineries after taking this tour, and the relationship that Wine Edventures has with the wineries makes their tour a better experience than any time I have visited these wineries on my own.  The staff at the wineries seem to be more apt to teaching about their wines and give out more information to the people on the tours.