Traveling Suitcase

I Long to Visit Italy

2013-06-17T11:28:00.002-04:00

The Italian countryside. I'd love to be riding along on the back roads, stopping at various villages along the way to sample wine. Today's blog prompt- blog about somewhere you'ld like to visit and or move too. We'd like to visit Italy, and have begun a wee bit of travel planning with that in mind.

Join us at Paula's for the June Blog Challenge. Click the badge to join in.

We hope to see plenty of the things other tourists see, but....we also hope to see a side of Italy those who tour quickly don't get to see. Our hope is to be there for 3 weeks or more and really explore.

Certainly seeing the historic sites is a must, as long as plenty of time if left for food and wine! We want to do some on our own and some with a tour group. We may plan this trip for after retirement, we may not wait.

We've been saving our Marriott Rewards Points for years to make this all happen.

In the meantime, we'll enjoy traveling about the U.S., please use the search this blog area to find locations your interested in. In addition to enjoying the U.S., we've have made multiple trips to Aruba, a real favorite so check that out too.

Currently we're planning trips to Park City, Utah (were we've been a number of times, Aruba again in the fall, Hilton Head in January (awesome time to go to get out of the snow in Ohio), and Spain in the Spring.

Come back often, I'm sure there's something here for everyone. Menu Monday was postponed this week in favor of this fun blog challenge. Do come back next week, if not before.

INVITING YOU ALL TO MEMORY MONDAYS, JOIN IN ON THE FUN AND GET SOME LINKY LOVE. MAKE MONDAYS MORE FUN. CLICK HERE.

Pop in Often, remember Menu Mondays for dining tips, Traveling Tips on Thursday, and any day for vacation destinations.
(BL21, JC4)

Whetstone Park of Roses

2013-06-08T12:49:00.002-04:00

The well known and loved poem appears on this boulder in The Whetstone Park of Roses in Columbus, Ohio. The Park of Roses is a beautiful spot to spend time, enjoy the walk, the scents of the many flowers...not just roses; as well as a place to host a wedding. It's located in the center of The Whetstone Park at 3923 North High Street Columbus, Ohio 43214.

The Poem: In A Garden
The Kiss of the sun
For Pardon
The song of the birds
For mirth
One is nearer God's Heart
Then anywhere else
On Earth

A lovely poem.

There are roses a plenty, in fact 11,000 rose bushes, though my last walk wasn't during their peak season, it was still very enjoyable and pretty. There are rose specific areas, perineals, and herb gardens.

Some bushes were about to burst open

others were on their way out. The old fashions roses tend to be the earlier bloomers and smell heavenly as you walk. The hybrids tend to bloom later.

The Rose Park is free and open to the public. It covers 13 acres.

In summer months on Sunday evenings you can enjoy various community music programs. The park is one of the largest municipal rose gardens in the United States. It began as a dream back in 1951 with members of both The Columbus Rose Club and The Central Ohio Rose Society with a committee included then mayor, James A Rhodes. A name you probably know for a very sad event later when he was Governor and sent armed Reserves against the students on that fatal day at Kent State University.

In April of 1952 City Council passed an ordinance and issued bonds, obtained an architect, formed an advisory team and with the help of The Columbus Park and Rec Department the project took flight in June of 1952. In January of 1954 The American Rose Society joined forces and moved it's National Headquarters from Pennsylvania to Columbus on the edge of the park. The American Rose Society remained there until moving it's offices in 1974 to Shreveport, Louisiana.

Picnic with the family in the park, ride bikes and be sure to leave time to tour the gardens. Many weddings are held in the park. You can reserve spaces for 2 hour intervals at a cost of $500.00.

This is only 1 of the 4 special areas with a picturesque backdrop for your wedding photo's. When hubby and I got married here 41 years ago come June 17th, there was only 1 special spot without any real rental or reservation program. It is more organized now, certainly more specialist and upscale; but I'm glad we were able to be married there without that price tag. We selected a spot, chairs were assembled and we walked among the trees for shade and got married! It was a beautiful day. Take a tour on my wedding day back in 1972, In The Rose Garden

**Still having issues with google+ blocking EVERYONE who is not a google+ member. Many bloggers still don't realize Blogger, Disgus, Wordpress etc.and all other blogs are unable to comment. Carol Kilgore, (No filter between brain and mouth) I'd love to visit and comment again, but can't due to your google+ settings. If you get them fixed, please let us know and we'll add you back to the blog log.**

Pop in Often, remember Menu Mondays for dining tips, Traveling Tips on Thursday, and any day for vacation destinations. (BL7)

Palace Theater Columbus Ohio

2013-05-17T11:07:00.000-04:00

The Place Theater in Columbus Ohio is a beautiful beautiful old theater. Any time you have the chance to see a performance here it's a special night. Do treat yourself and go, you'll not be sorry. Theaters used to be far more then a building to watch a movie, or hear a concert, they themselves were beautiful works of art. You're limited in what you can take pictures of, though I saw some people ignoring the signs that asked that you not photograph in certain areas and certainly NOT during a performance, there are always those rude people who feel they mean everyone but them. This is the main entrance and where will call is. Look at the marble, the intricate carvings and details. Do click to enlarge.

One of the many elaborate chandeliers.

We were seated on the main floor, to the left is the stage, across and up the special boxes, and to the right you can see the edge of the balcony. The balcony is actually my favorite place to sit, but when we got our tickets as part of a fundraiser, we didn't know where they would be; as we didn't get to select them.

A terrible attempt, once again (we really ought to give up, lol), at self portraits hubby and me. We keep wondering how the kids always pull it off. I was leaning back in an attempt to get in the picture, not a good look.

Here you can some better detail of the special boxes that were above and to our left as well as those across. Gorgeous. Someday perhaps we'll pay the big buck and get tickets there...maybe.

We enjoyed The Tenors, previously known as The Canadian Tenors. They were fabulous!

The theater opened back in 1926, and was primarily used for Vaudeville Acts of the day. Because Vaudeville performers needed to be heard, the acoustics were truly focused on in the theaters design. Many great performers have taken the stage here like: Bing Crosby, Nat "King" Cole, Louis Armstrong, Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, Jackie Gleason, Gypsy Rose Lee, Glenn Miller, Mae West, and Jack Benny to name a few.

The Palace Theater holds some interesting history. Back in the 30's, 40's and 50's, many traveling acts stayed for several days or a week at a time. The back stage area of the theater, was in fact like a hotel for the performances. They had their rooms, a front desk to pick up their keys, a play area for the performers children, and even a pet bath below the stage with a ramp. The rooms were titled for the various cities along the vaudeville tour.

Pop in Often, remember Menu Mondays for dining tips, Traveling Tips on Thursday, and any day for vacation destinations.

Vom Fass in St. Louis

2013-05-14T10:58:00.000-04:00

Vom Fass, a most unusual shopping venture located at 7314 Manchester Road, in Historic Maplewood (St. Louis, Missouri). A wonderful selection of imported oils and vinegar.

Wine and Liqueurs a plenty.

Scotch, Special Single Malts and Irish Whiskey.

You're able to taste before you purchase, select the size you want and obtain ideas of how to mix and match from a very well informed and friendly staff. In addition to the shopping and tasting before you shop; they have cooking classes, wine and Scotch Tastings and menu's. The selection of Balsamic and Fruit Vinegars is astounding.

Vom Fass was opened on Dec 9, 2009 and has become quite popular with the locals. But, fear not you can order on line if you're not in the area. But, if you're going to be in the area, do check out their cocktail class and coffee crawl.

Pop in Often, remember Menu Mondays for dining tips, Traveling Tips on Thursday, and any day for vacation destinations.

Robert Smalls Memorial in Beaufort, South Carolina

2013-05-11T17:02:00.000-04:00

The Historic Tabernacle Baptist Church in Beaufort, South Carolina has a small a historic graveyard to the right of the church as you face it, in a picturesque courtyard. The church was formed by Black Members when the area was evacuated in 1861 due to Federal Occupation.

A Memorial to Robert Smalls is present as you enter the courtyard and graveyard. A quote by Robert Smalls reads, "My Race needs no special defense. For the past history of them in this country proves them to be the equal of any people any where. All they need is an equal chance in the battle of Life. Dated Nov 1, 1895.

Hannah Jones was a maid at a hotel in Charleston when Robert met her. He was born into slavery on April 5th 1839 in a slave cabin behind the main house (located at 511 Prince St) of Henry McKee. Henry McKee owned his mother Lydia Polite. It is presumed Henry fathered Robert, some records list him as a mulatto, though pictures show him to be quite black. Robert owned by Henry and was leased out to businesses in Charleston when only 12. It is during that occasion that he met Hannah. As a slave he spent a good deal of time in Charleston harbor and had many jobs. He worked on the docs and learned to make sails among other jobs. Ultimately, he became a pilot; though being Black wasn't given that title..that is the work he did. He became quite good at it and used those skills to free himself and Hannah and their children and others. He was on The CSS Planter, a Confederate ship when the 3 White Captains and Pilots decided to spend their evening on shore. On May 13th, 1862, he commandeered the ship and sailed it safely past 5 Confederate Forts. On board were 4 large artillery pieces and along with an important coding book. He was able to use the correct codes in order to appear to be a Confederate and thus wasn't questioned as he sailed to freedom and turned the ship, it's code book, and artillery over to Union Forces.

Though I didn't read any accounts of a 2nd marriage, it seems his 2nd wife, Annie is also buried in the quaint historic church graveyard there in Beautfort.

After the Civil War, Robert Smalls returned to Beaufort and purchased the house at 511 Prince Street from his previous Master, Henry McKee. His Mother, Lydia lived her remaining days with him there as well. Robert was a successful business man, and was elected to The South Carolina State Legislature, and United States House of Representatives. It is because of him, that Blacks were admitted to fight on the side of the Union forces. He was also instrumental in the formation of the first free and compulsory public school system in the country.

After the compromise of 1877 when Federal forces were withdrawn from the area, he was convicted of accepting a $5,000 bribe by Southern Whites in one of the many efforts to reduce power and respect of Blacks in the South, but was pardoned in a deal which also permitted charges of voter fraud by Democrats to be dropped.

What a remarkable man. I encourage you to take the time to visit this historic church and graveyard.

**Carol Kilgore, I've been unable to visit and leave comments on your blog because of google+. You may not be aware of your settings, but it seems things have changed and now ONLY people who join google+ can blog with you. I know there's a fix, as others have done it. An hopeful you'll see this post and leave a comment. Happy to put you back on my blog log, since we enjoyed visiting back and forth during the a-z challenge. AND perhaps someone who is google+ will see this and let you know how to fix it**

Pop in Often, remember Menu Mondays for dining tips, Traveling Tips on Thursday, and any day for vacation destinations.
(C6, RT6)

Barefoot in Aruba

2013-05-06T08:17:00.002-04:00

Take off your shoes and feel the beautiful sand under your feet as you dine at the waters edge.

Sorry for grainy picture, our waiter from The Netherlands was having a hard time getting a good photo. This was very dark, I lighten as much as I could to try and show you the setting. The name of the restaurant is actually "Barefoot". It's located on Palm Beech near the airport in Aruba. There are tables in the sand at the waters edge. Behind us you see a bit of deck area for those who don't wish to be right in the sand, and beyond is an inside area with floors to walk around; but where the tables are you can still take off your shoes and enjoy the sand. Perhaps on a really hot night people like one of the indoor areas with fans better.

Truly an elegant night out. Yes the couple you see, just got married and she is wearing her wedding dress with her toes in the sane. Though the were "next" to us, you can see no one is crowded in, there's lots of room between the tables. It's very private really, you don't hear others conversations. A definite go to back to location.

Our waiter tried several times to get a better picture. He was very sweet. See the cute foil left over basket? Everything about the meal, the service, the ambiance is truly perfect.

If you can afford one really nice evening out, this is The One!
This is the only night we didn't walk to and from dinner. We were staying a The Marriott's Surf Club and could have taken a bus there and taxi back, but it was the one day we had rented a car. Public transportation is reliable and affordable, but doesn't run late enough for a return trip, thus the taxi back was an option.
***This is most definitely NOT a family restaurant so please leave the kids home. It's a place for love to bloom.

I had some fabulous tenderloin, hubby had some delicious seafood meal. Sorry, was too long ago to remember what we actually had, plus the menu is every changing. Just rest assured it was good, and we will be going back.

*Heads up all who use google+, many of you may not be aware and wonder why folks aren't returning your visits and comments. Google+ has a setting now that does not allow others to comment, in some cases your blog isn't even visible unless people register with google+. You are losing people without knowing why, as many of you don't have means of contact. I've been able to alert several, who did not of the problem and change in settings; some have been able to fix the problem. If you're one who's fixed the problem, please leave the instructions on the fix so that we can pass along the information to help others. Please leave it here the comments and or email me directly at sandycrochet at gmail.com*

Pop in Often, remember Menu Mondays for dining tips, Traveling Tips on Thursday, and any day for vacation destinations.

Get Your Kicks on Route 66, Missouri

2013-05-04T13:04:00.000-04:00

While I don't make a habit of looking down when I walk...look what you can see if you actually look around when walking. It was raining the day we spent time walking the historic area of Maplewood Missouri, so pictures were a quick snap and move on. I didn't even take time to read the plaques that day. But, found several that were very interesting. The signs says 66 Park in Theater (drive in). Young folks may have to look that up. lol This was locaetd at 9438 Watson Road. It was built in 1947 by Flexer and after one year taken over by Wehrenberg who operated it til it's closing.

This was located on historic route 66. I get my kicks on Route 66...something else young folks might need to look up. We old folk well remember the song and the tv show. This open air theater advertised "cool breezes" long before air conditioning came about. There was a playground up front for kids, pony rides, ferris wheels even throughout it's history. Teens called it the passion pit. It held 800 cars and had 4 concession stands. The picture was taken by Chuck1231 and uploaded to Cinema Treasurers(along with 2,551 others).

Drive In's popularity lessened with more available on tv, with folks going to the movies and having air conditioning. 66 Park in Theater closed after the 1993 season, and was demolished March 19th, 1994. Though I also found information that said it was razed in 1996. It made room for a grocery store, National and after that a Schnucks. Now there's a shopping center there and all that remains is memories of historic route 66, drive in movies are a thing of the past.

Hope you'll take time to listen, Nat King Cole Singing Get your kicks on Route 66

Pop in Often, remember Menu Mondays for dining tips, Traveling Tips on Thursday, and any day for vacation destinations.
(10)

Reflections of The A-Z April Blog Challenge

2013-05-03T06:00:00.001-04:00

WHEW! This traveling suitcase has been out and about alot this past month. April's A-Z blog challenged challenged us to write a post everyday, except Sunday during the month in Alphabetically order. It also challenged us to make at least 5 visits to other blogs daily and to leave comments on said blogs.

Made the 26 posts
Made a total of 251 blog visits and comments (an average of 9.6 visits and comments daily)
Received 136 comments back, for an average of only 54% return, pretty disappointing, had expected more then that. 136 total divided by 26 days (though we didn't write on Sunday's people did visits on Sundays, so the number of days is perhaps skewed a bit) averages 5.2 visits back daily.
I did gain some followers, though how many I don't now, as I forgot to notice what my numbers where before hand
When I signed up Traveling Suitcase for the challenge I was #1888, very close to the bottom, as I signed it up with less then a day left. I ended up at #1581, a jump of 307 spots on the linky. That shows you how many folks either dropped out, or were removed from the linky for various reasons.

All in all, I don't know if it was worth it. It takes alot of time to write, visit, read, and comment; and clearly I put much more into it then lots of folks. I don't know how representative my results are compared to others. But it seemed daily I hit one after another of folks who signed up with very one sided ideas in mind. There comments were closed, so they wanted the visits, but had no intention of returning the blog traffic. They weren't really blogging, or participating; but still wanted the blog traffic.

However, I did enjoy most of my visits and have increased my blog log for my future visits. I've added everyone who visited here more then once to my list and hope the back and forth continues.

Will I do this again next year? Jury's still out on that, only time will tell.

I think there are things that might improve the challenge if it comes round again next year.

I think a mandatory deleting captcha vs a strong suggestion is in order.
I think requiring all sign ups to be the actual blog url vs google + profile, circles profile etc, where you have to click multiple times to even find the blog registered
No blogs that require signing in or joining something, like the Disgus blogs that want you to join Disgus or sign in with your facebook or twitter profile
No one with comments turned off should be permitted
Requiring the logo and or A-Z post D etc to be very visible, like the first line of every post, vs scrolling around the blog to see if the badge is even there when you're not sure if they are really participating
A separate linky for adult content (AC), hit too many that had a disclaimer of adult content in the text of the blog that weren't so marked on the linky.
Is is possible to have the linky be alphabetized? So you can more easily see where you left off on the list.
Maybe it would be a good idea to have separate linky's for each category? Though it appeared most didn't choose a category and I enjoyed visiting all categories, just wondered if it would be helpful?

I think visiting all those who've signed before hand to make certain they are lined up to play fairly and appropriately would save lots of folks time later on, trying to report blogs daily as they waste their time making the rounds.

Thank you to all who visited and took time to post comments:

Christine Rains
Maggie Winter
Linda Ann Nickerson
Annis Cassells
corallevang
A month of Blog
anothercleanslate
Liz
Joe Richardson
Brandy
godhasnoproblems
Jennifer Solo Travel Girl
Aidl Weoh
Threesia
Kaye Draper
Amanda Dollak
anya Padyam
Talya Tate Boerner
Tami Van Zalez
Beth
Naila Moon
Bonnie Gwyn
DayDreamer
Karen Michelle Nut
C.Kirk
Julie Flanders
Katka Lapelosova
Jo
Carol Kilgore
Rosanna
Betty Taylor
myguiltypleasure
raisingthecurtain
TaMara Sloan
Lucy
Donna Sexton
Megan
Beverly
Pat Hatt
Margaret Spain
Jan
Clarissa Draper
Tronster
Elizabeth Seckman
Jana Grissom
John Wiswell
Katka Lapelosova
Denise Flynn
Colbymarshall
Archana
Lisa
Sylvia Ney
Stephsco

Your visits and comments were appreciated. Thank you!

Pop in Often, remember Menu Mondays for dining tips, Traveling Tips on Thursday, and any day for vacation destinations.
(10)

Historic Maplewood's Saratoga's Bowling Lanes in Missouri

2013-05-02T06:00:00.000-04:00

St. Louis Missouri is a most unique city with many different sections and very different neighborhoods. There are in fact, 79 different neighborhoods listed on official records. One area is Maplewood. The historic area of Maplewood is fun and interesting place to spend a day. There many shops, cafe's and area's of interest. We did not see a shopping mall, but cute, unique and old school shops as well as newly formed shops to visit.

Walking down the main street you see these historic markers for landmarks along the way. Notice the sidewalk isn't plain ordinary concrete. Saratoga Lanes is the oldest bowling alley of it's kind west of The Mississippi River. It's been in existence since 1916. This small, 8 lane upstairs bowling alley is truly old school. There are pencils and paper to keep your score, not electronic flashing screens posted on the walls. It's located at 2725 Sutton Blvd, Maplewood Missouri 63143. It's often rented out for corporate and birthday parties. It has been designated a National Registered Historic Place.

You can bring your own food, or have your event catered; as food isn't served...though snacks are available in vending machines. You do need to purchase beverages there. It is highly suggested you book your event or your game well in advance, as it's quite popular and books up early. In addition to bowling you can shoot pool.

Reviews I read indicate it's quite smokey there, but I wonder if that was before St. Louis got up with the rest of country with smoking bans in public spaces.

I'm sorry we didn't go in, and actual see the place; but it was raining and I very quickly took this photo with the thought I'd look at it later, so didn't actually even read it between the rain drops. There will be other trips though, so may re-visit this site.

Pop in Often, remember Menu Mondays for dining tips, Traveling Tips on Thursday, and any day for vacation destinations.
(6 & 4 log)

A Month Long Blog Challenge

2013-05-01T06:00:00.000-04:00

The month of April presented with a blog challenge to blog everyday, in alphabetical order. You could choice a theme or make your post without a theme. Obviously my posts here were all travel related. Additionally you were to make at least 5 visits and day to other blogs in the challenge, read their post and leave comments. Taking Sunday's off you end up with 26 days for 26 letters. Below is the complete A-Z listing of blogs written for the challenge for this blog.

**Been trying to re-visit everyone on the blog list, it seems some of you have changed your blogs now that the challenge is over? For some, you can only leave comments if you've joined google+. That really limits you, you might want to change that. Made contact with one person who didn't know it had been changed for her by google. So, Carol Kilgore, hope you see this and are able to change your settings.**

If you missed any, please do pop in and read, and let me know you were here. Just because the challenge is over; doesn't mean we need to stop our blog visits.

Hope you'll see something below that strikes your fancy.

A=Aruba
B=Bluffton and Beaufort
C=Crystal Cove California
D=Palm Desert California
E=Efficiency's Safe Money When Traveling
F=Fairs
G=Beaufort Natl. Cemetery (Graveyard)
H=Huntington Beach, CA
I=Isla Navidad, Mexico
J=Making the Journey Count
K=What to do With the Kids
L=Loopy Road Leads to Landmark
M=Marriott Time Shares
N=Marriott Newport Coast Villas, CA
O=Ocean Pointe, Palm Beach Shores, Florida
P=Provost Dungeon Charleston SC
Q=Quilts, more then a Blanket
R=Reasons to Take Vacations
S=Sunsets Newport Coast, CA
T=Temple Square, Salt Lake City
U=Ullr in Breckenridge
V=Villa Paraiso Mexico
W=Thornton Winery
X=X Out Your List
Y=Yellowstone National Park
Z=Zion National Park

Pop in Often, remember Menu Mondays for dining tips, Traveling Tips on Thursday, and any day for vacation destinations. (18)

Zion National Park

2013-04-30T06:00:00.000-04:00

(Z post)
Zion National Park in Winter. Bundle up and enjoy a picture tour both from the car and on foot of this beautiful park. I read an interesting comment on my Q post (Quiet on another blog), that said summer is noisy and winter is quiet, thus the person preferred winter.

Does make you feel quiet, and it was during our time in the park. Not many people there. Hubby is the one in the red coat in front of you, the other couple my younger brother and his wife. I blogged about this park previously HERE, if you'd like a bit more commentary.

Pop in Often, remember Menu Mondays for dining tips, Traveling Tips on Thursday, and any day for vacation destinations. (5)

Yellowstone National Park

2013-04-29T06:00:00.000-04:00

(Y post)
You could probably post daily for a year about something regarding Yellowstone National Park, so I won't pretend to do it justice in one post here.

The part was established in 1872. Can you imagine the foresight to establish a park just 7 years after The Civil War?
It's the very first National Park
There are parts of Yellowstone in 3 different states: Wyoming, Montana and even Idaho. The largest area is in Wyoming
There are 5 entrances: East, North, NorthEast, South, and West. It's important to know where you want to go in the park to select the correct entrance. Not all gates are open all year long, and traffic can be so heavy through the park that getting from the wrong entrance to where you want to go difficult and time consuming.
The park has 1,000 miles of trails, and 2.2 million acres of land
Has the worlds, not just the country's but the worlds largest collection of geysers
It's nearly an intact natural ecosystem
There's hiking and biking trails, camping, ranger programs, historic buildings
It has 12 camping grounds and over 2,000 camping sites; not including the back country. Seven of the 12 areas are managed by a private company, Xantera where reservations can be made, the 5 smaller areas are controlled by the park on a first come basis.
Camp sites typical fill as early as 11 am, often requiring you get in que by 7 am for a specific spot. The key is to be flexible, and plan ahead and always have a plan B.
Wolves were re-introduced to the park in 1995 and 96, after finding none in 1994. Currently there are 300 and their descendants. Without the wolves the balance of predators and the food change were disturbed.
In a typical year more people are injured by Bison in the Park, then Bears. Stay the appropriate distance from ALL wild animals, don't put yourself and your family in danger for the sake of a stupid picture. When you do something stupid, typically the animal has to be put down. You're instructed to stay at least 100 yards from bears, 25 from Bison.
Camping in the back country is free but requires a permit that can be obtained 48 hours ahead in person, there's a fee to reserve ahead of time on line or through the mail.
The park is larger then the 2 states of Delaware and Rhode Island combined.

It was quite an experience camping and hiking in Yellowstone. Old Faithful was disappointing as, it didn't do much when we were there, the thermal areas have a nasty smell like rotten eggs. In general, though we enjoyed our time there we thought The Tetons were prettier and enjoyed our time there more. (Pictures from a free on line site, not mine. Old Faithful didn't do anything even close to this when we were there. You sit around the circle, waiting for it and we saw just a small trickle. Others in our group said they'd been here several time and never saw it erupt like this. We understand from the Rangers, they had to clean it because people used to throw things in it...which is why you now have to sit back from it.

Pop in Often, remember Menu Mondays for dining tips, Traveling Tips on Thursday, and any day for vacation destinations.
(6)

X Out Your List

2013-04-27T06:00:00.000-04:00

(X post)
Ok, this was a tough letter to come up with something appropriate for a travel blog. First thought of X marks the spot, but then I used that on Flat Stanley's X post, and I used Xenia a city in Ohio for the X post on Oozing Out my Ears....soooooooo here goes.

We always print a grocery shopping list before we leave home. Through practice, we've learned the best way to save money on a vacation is to eat in, it's also the most relaxed; but shopping in a strange local can be a challenge.....IF you're not organized. We are very organized. In fact, we think we have this whole travel thing down to a science.

Print the list before you leave home
Have items you always use and always need on the list, so you know meals ahead of time, and purchase items that can be used for several meals at a time
Always review the list after the trip to see where changes should be made...locations can alter what you need on the list, as well as the time of year you're going. The weather/time of the year always determines how often we grill out vs fixing dinner on the stove or in the oven
X out the items as you find them in the grocery, saves time you're not constantly thinking what do I need AND you don't tend to buy extra items, thus you save money
We X out tonic when we travel in January to Hilton Head, there we tend to drink more Martini's and don't need tonic for a refreshing Gin/Vodka and tonic....the opposite is true when we travel to Florida or Aruba in Spring or Fall

And there you have my X post.

Pop in Often, remember Menu Mondays for dining tips, Traveling Tips on Thursday, and any day for vacation destinations.(5)

Thornton Winery

2013-04-26T06:00:00.000-04:00

Welcome to Thornton's Winery
(W post)

located at 32575 Rancho California Road, Temecula, CA 92589. We've been to Temecula several times now and have tried several different Wineries, but I believe Thornton's would be our favorite. We had a fabulous lunch, and

wine tasting. There were 3 of us, one got all reds, one a mix white, rose, and 2 reds, and

I had a flight of champagne.

With your flights you get a description to help you remember which ones you liked. See my 2 stars. We ended up ordering a case of Champagne, 6 bottles of each.

Desert was beautiful and delicious. We shared it, all of us were full.

Walked around the gift shop and this gave me a idea of something I perhaps should try with all my saved corks. I've got several zip lock bags full of them. Though it's been a little over a year since I saw this...and well the corks are still in the zip lock bags. lol

Still needing to do a bit walking to help with being so full, the gift shop wasn't enough. We toured the grounds, which are quite pretty.

I went through the gate and got Jane, and hubby before they started down the steps.

A good day, a full day. We headed to San Diego from here to spend a few more days before heading home.

Great place for adults.

Pop in Often, remember Menu Mondays for dining tips, Traveling Tips on Thursday, and any day for vacation destinations. (5)

Villa Paraiso, Manzanillo, Colima, Mexico

2013-04-25T06:00:00.000-04:00

(V post)
Villa Paraiso Manzanillo, LaPunta, Pennisula de Santiago CP 28860 ManZanilla, Colima, Mexico. Villa Paraiso translates to House of Paradise.

As you make your entrance into this 12,000 ft. sq. house built into the hillside you are transformed by Nestor the manager and his awesome house staff.

Fun, friendly, professional and very accommodate they really pamper you during your stay. Though this picture was taken later outback, kitchen and dining room through those doors...we were initially greeted with a tray of Martgueritas, and fresh warm towels to wipe up after the trip from the airport.

Lunch was served after the house tour concluded and everyone selected their bedrooms, in the Palapa where we virtually lived through out the week. The bar is to your left, one pool to your right, another pool up and to your right, and another pool further up.

From the main hall way, on the same level as this upper pool, looking down to bar, Palapa and infinite pool. The edge of this upper pool you see is a waterfall with anther pool just beneath it...the level where you see the orange chairs.

This eating space is on the same level as the orange chairs and one of the pools.

Though we had breakfast and dinner inside at the dining room table, with lunch in the Palapa daily.

Can you see why we lived in the Palapa? Bar behind us, infinite pool to the left.

Standing just outside the Palapa, you see lounge chairs and lower level pool, the red dot above is the upper level pool; while off on the right you see 4 of the 6 bedrooms. This is an open air house, though you can close you bedroom door at night and turn on room air, if you feel you need it. (if you click the picture you'll be able to see the red numbers and dot)

Each room was decorated differently. This blue room on the lower level and had a seating area to the left before the door that lead outside.

Each room had it's on bathroom and outside shower.

To your left was a floor to ceiling custom cabinet with shelving and drawers, in addition to all the space behind the mirrors.

Standing outside the 2 bedroom on the upper level bedrooms (#1 and; 2 in the other picture) you can see the infinity pool, hammock and bar area. The space beneath are the other 2 bedrooms.

Even the stair cases were beautiful. With the house being built into the side of the hill, there's lots of up and down, so you do get some exercises between drinks. lol

One of the many views. This is taken outside the upper level bedrooms.

If you're looking for an affordable group vacation, do yourself a favor and contact Nestor, the manager at nestormanzillo@yahoo.com or visit their facebook page.
Be sure and let them know Sandy sent you.

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ULLR in Breckenridge Colorado

2013-04-24T06:00:00.000-04:00

(U post)
Meet ULLR, a Norse God by Richard Jagoda in Beckenridge, Colorado. One of many outdoor art pieces.

Ullr is thought to be the son of Sif, and the stepson of Thor in Norse Mythology. Information is a bit sketchy, but it's believed he was a major Prehistoric God, The God of Hunting, Bow, Shield and Ski. It's prounced Ooh-ler. Legend has it that he flew the sky on his wooden ski's so fast he made stars as he passed.

This past Janaury, 2013 marked the 50th anniversary of The Ullr Fest in Breckenridge. The fest started in 1963, to pay homage to and give thanks to, The God of Good Snow. The fest has grown through the years, but has always been a "party", celebrated by locals. There's a parade down Main Street, live entertainment, food and drink a plenty, bone fires, Ullympics, and ice sculpting. He's become known as The God of Winter and Snow.

The festival ran from Jan 6th through January 12th this year and is scheduled for Jan 5th-11th, in 2014.

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Temple Square, Salt Lake City Utah

2013-04-23T06:00:00.000-04:00

(T post)
Temple Square in downtown Salt Lake City is totally surrounded by large heavy ironed fences. Though the grounds are "opened" to the public for tours, you may not enter on your own. You must be part of a tour group and be escorted at all times.

This is the site that most think of when they think of The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, but this is not the Tabernacle, this is The Salt Lake City Temple which is in the center of the 10 acres square. This is the largest of the 140 temples. You do not get to tour even with your escort inside this building. In fact, not all Mormons are permitted to enter this building. It is considered very sacred and one must have a temple recommend to enter it's premises. The requirements, as I understand them are to be baptized and request a recommend one year later. You are then interviewed by a Bishop and the Stake President to determine your "worthiness". There are different types/levels of recommends; but from my research it seems generally a recommend is good for a period of two years provided all conditions are still meant.

A little better view, it's not easy to get a good picture. The sealing of spouses, and children to parents takes place in the Temple. Sealing is an additional ceremony joining couples which means they are married, even after death vs a civil marriage which is til death to us part. It's possible to be sealed to multiple spouses, even if a divorce has taken place. So, while the official church stance is that they do not support plural marriages in this day and age; some argue that to be incorrect. Not all Mormons practice sealing, therefore without being sealed and or having a recommend, not all Mormons can enter the Temple.

This is the beginning of Mormon Tabernacle Choir practice, the main reason for our signing up for the tour. We were very disappointed. We were permitted only a very short stay to hear the choir. The Tabernacle is open to all; but at no point are you permitted to look or tour on your own. It's frankly, a rather uncomfortable feeling. There are so many guides and helpers, and other volunteers there you feel they are watching your every move.

The grounds are beautiful, with flower beds everywhere, water falls and sculptures. DD and I sat down on a bench to check time, review the map and determine when and where we might want to eat. In those few brief minutes we were interrupted 3-4 times by 3-4 different "watchers". Did I mention, uncomfortable.

Inside The Assembly Hall, the 3rd area in the square is a large display of religious paintings. They are floor to ceiling as you can see and are quite impressive.

I've forgotten how large this sculpture is, but believe it's about 3 x life size. It's surrounded by circle seating. During our tour (assume this is standard), everyone had to sit while some preaching went on. I don't know if they actually tell their tour guides to convert people, but it certainly seemed that was the primary goal.

This was probably my favorite of the many outdoor sculpture depicting a family and handcart. It a memorial to the hardy Mormons who walked pulling and pushing their belongings 1,350 miles from Iowa City to Salt Lake in 1850. Nearly 3,000 completed the journey, though 250 died in route. Many of the 1,350 were British Converts.

We signed up to hear the choir practice while staying in Park City, at Marriott's Summit Watch. They provide transportation from the resort to Temple Square and back for a reasonable fee. The tour was not at all what we thought we were signing up for, and therefore we were very disappointed. Had we known the nature of tour, we probably would not have gone. Still, being prepared with the right expectations, can make a difference in your level of enjoyment in any activity. So, if you go; be better prepared and know you're not going to get to hear much of the choir and or learn much about the choir...that it's primarily to tell you how wonderful being a Mormon is. The tour description really didn't convey that.

I would not recommend doing this with small children. I believe it was about a 6 hour field trip from the resort, and best geared towards adults wearing good walking shoes. The other item worth noting is everywhere you go, even to eat is church related with Mormon murals on the walls....really over loaded if you're comfortable with your own religious choice. You're pretty restricted how far you can venture there in downtown Salt Lake, in order to get back in time to hear the choir, even for a short while before the bus ride back to the resort.

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Sunsets Newport Coast California

2013-04-22T06:00:00.000-04:00

(S post)
We have incredible sunsets almost every night we stayed at Marriott's Newport Coast Villas. We fixed our cocktails and watched the sunset over Catalina Island, from the comfort and privacy of our balcony. The time it takes to drink a good Martini and the time it takes for sunset to drop into the ocean were well matched. Then it was time for dinner. Turn on your sound and enjoy.

This was probably our best part of each day, enjoying the magnificent beauty. Nature is an awesome thing.

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Reason to Take Vacations

2013-04-20T06:00:00.000-04:00

(R post)
Do you take a vacation to relax?

To recreate?

To research

To rejuvenate? Sorry, can't show a picture of a massage.

Would you settle for a scarey facial picture? Don't make me laugh it'll crack!

Do you vacation to enjoy Restaurants?

Deciding which R word is the most important to you and those in your traveling entourage is the key ingredient for successful planning. If you're a person who likes to be on the go doing and seeing constantly a quiet, relaxed resort is probably not going to make for an enjoyable vacation. Obviously the reverse also is an issue. Finding a location with balance is the key if people in your entourage like to do different things.

Example, years ago hubby and I traveled in large groups for winter vacations/ski trips. Right there is the key, I was going on vacation which to me means to chill out, they were all going on a ski trip and that's all they were interested in doing. They didn't want to explore what else was in the area, they didn't want to sight see, they didn't want to sleep in. They wanted to be the first and last on and off the ski lift. The compromise was I didn't ski everyday, I did other things and then we would collect back up for cocktails before dinner.

Now days, hubby and I like to travel alone (unless DD is able to join us). Far less complicated. He can golf, I can do my thing and we can pick days to do things together. Balancing all those R's...makes for a great vacation.

Discuss and plan a bit before hand, don't assume everyone's idea of what vacation is is the same...........it's not. What are you reasons for wanting to go on vacation?

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(5)

Quilts, more then a Blanket

2013-04-19T06:00:00.000-04:00

(Q post)
This awesome looking quilt tells quite a story of the history of Breckenridge in Summit Co, Colorado. Though now days the first thing someone probably thinks of is skiing, there is much to it's history. The quilt shows panning for gold, historic buildings, and churches, the stage coach period, the importance of the railroad, farming, ranching, it's forest and mountainous terrain, and dredge mining.

It is a town to enjoy every outdoor activity you can think of; but don't let that fool you..it's filled with art museum and galleries and shows a real appreciation of the softer side of things.

These are just a few of many art pieces about the town

I have skiied there when I was much younger, I've camped and hiked there when I was younger, but more recently I enjoy the art and history and beauty of the area.

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Provost Dungeon, Charleston, S.C.

2013-04-18T05:30:00.000-04:00

(P post) The Provost Dungeon in Charleston South Carolina, The Old Exchange is quite an historic Landmark, a National Historic Landmark in fact. You can tour the Old Exchange from 9 am -5 pm daily Mon-Friday. Your tour includes The Great Hall, The Provost Dungeon, and the Colonel Isaac Hayne Room. You'll see period pieces and original pieces. This historic location was in fact where hundreds of slaves were sold, where President George Washington entertained (1791), where The United States Constitution was ratified (1788), and where The Declaration of Independence was presented to the people of South Carolina (1776). The white wealthy people that is...but, that's another story in and of itself.

The Provost Dungeon is many feet below the street, at the level of Rivers and was a prison used during The American Revolution. As you move about characters come to live and tell their story.

You see people chained to the walls, and some of the movements can be a bit scarey for small children. If you're going to tour with small children, it would be wise to discuss a little bit about it before hand.

The figures are quite realistic looking.

This historic location is where an American Patriot, Colonel Isaac Hayne was in fact hung, after being sentenced to death by The British.

The site is located at 122 Bay Street and worth the price of admission.

There are many things to see and learn here, including the story of this woman, Rebecca Brewton Motte. Though the stories about her and her accomplishment vary abit, it seems she became bigger then life after her death. She was a very wealth woman, born into a prominent family, and married into another. She owned 244 slaves. Some say she used the arrows to light fire to her own house so that the British couldn't use it as a strong hold. Other accounts indicate she gave the arrows to the military while she lived elsewhere...still quite comfortable in another of her homes. However, she is considered to be an American Heroine that was involved in The British surrending Fort Motte...her house.

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Ocean Pointe at Palm Beach Shores, Florida

2013-04-17T06:00:00.000-04:00

(O post)
For those that popped back in from yesterday for a sunset surprise, sorry...but due to technical difficulty and being alphabet challenged today isn't the day for the sunset surprise. Stay tuned though for later.

Welcome to Ocean Pointe at Palm Beach Shores, Florida.

One of the many pools with one or two of the buildings in the background.

Beautifully landscape with colorful flowers to enjoy.

The white buildings off in the distance are some of the Marriott's. Believe this was taken later in the day. You can rent lounges and umbrella's for a reasonable price.

On days when the ocean is more rough, walking the beach is nice.

Plenty of grill space to grill out and eat out, or grill out and eat

in your lovely dining room. There's also a balcony with tables and chairs.

Nice master suite, and the 2nd bedroom is roomy too

with sleeper sofa and it's own balcony with tables and chairs.

And don't miss the fabulous sunsets!

And after a good nights sleep, nothing better then cooking breakfast in your full kitchen. Particularly when my Darling Daughter the awesome omelet maker did the cooking. Click the picture folks, fresh fruit, coffee, friend potatoes, and the best omelets ever. You might be able to coax her into going on vacation with you!

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Marriott's Newport Coast Villas

2013-04-16T06:00:00.000-04:00

(N post)
The kitchen and breakfast bar at Marriott's Newport Coast

Where we had dinner almost every night, our dining room.

Living room for after the sunset and it got too cool on balcony. We were there in February, so nights are still a little chilly.

Looking towards the bathroom from the master suite. Large tub to the right with the shower around the corner.

2nd bedroom with table and sleeper sofa. It has it's own bathroom, door there on the left.

We LOVED our balcony. We used it some for morning coffee, and sometimes when we lunched in, and always for cocktails in the evening. We had a routine of getting the Martini's ready so all we needed to do was add ice and shake in order to have our Martini's as we watched the sunset. Sunset's were fabulous. Best we've had anywhere.

Pop back tomorrow for a Sunset Special Post.

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Marriott Time Shares

2013-04-15T05:30:00.000-04:00

(M post)
This post can be used as reference material. It's a small paragraph about the various Marriott Time Share's we either stayed in or seen doing tours. There will be links provided if posts have previously been done on a particular location.

There are multiple ways to vacation at a Marriott Time Share. If you own a time share you can reserve a week at your home resort (for those who own weeks under the old system), you can reserve one using Destination/Vacation/Trust Points if you've converted your weeks to Destination/Vacation Points (the newer system), AND you can reserve a week using Trust Points (newest system where you purchase points and not weeks), sometimes you can reserve one using Marriott Reward Points (you don't need to be a time share owner to have these), you can trade your week through Interval International for a location different from your home resort, and sometimes you can reserve and pay right out...just as you would for a hotel.

These are listed by the state, in alphabetical order.

Arizona: Canyon Villas at Desert Ridge is a beautiful facility with 1 and 2 BR's, and a quest suite/efficiency. These are lock off's, which means the 2 BR can be converted into a 1 BR and an efficiency. With this system you don't need to reserve more space then you need, AND even if you have the full 2 BR each side has it's own door. That's particularly nice in a group situation, like 2 couples vacationing together. It's close to a JW Marriott Resort which gives you the ability for fine dining, spa's and other recreational activities beyond the villas. There's lots to see and do here, and it's on our list of places to return to.

California: We've not stayed in or seen the inside of Desert Springs Villa, but the outside is very impressive. They look large and are in a very picturesque location. Desert Springs Villas II were the next phase of the development. We've stayed here. You can walk from one to the other, in fact they share the rental office. Villas II are a lock off situation like the above Canyon Villas in Arizona. The dining room area is perhaps the most impressive area of the villa with floor to ceiling bay window area. The quest/efficiency side is the smallest of those we've seen and the only one that didn't have a separate kitchen area from the bedroom. The arrangement here was a large cabinet that housed the microwave, and dorm fridge. Like Canyon Villas it's close to The JW Marriott Resort with access to fine dining and other activities. However, Villas I has the use of the pool and recreation areas at the JW, whereas Villas II does not. You can play golf at the JW regardless of which area you're lodged in.

Near by (not walking distance) the Desert Springs resorts is Shadow Ridge. Shadow Ridge is also a lock off situation as described above. It has easy access to golf and dining at Faldo's. This is our personal favorite of those in Desert Springs/Palm Desert. We've been here a number of times and plan to return. The quest/efficiency area here is quite nice and roomy.
*There's a new phase here called The Enclaves, while newer and perhaps a bit more fancy with furnishings etc. we prefer the older area at Shadow Ridge called the Villages.

Newport Coast Villas very pretty common areas, beautiful views, magnificent sunsets. Sorry no link yet with pictures (up and coming tomorrow), probably though not on the top of our we want to return list. Newport Coast Villas are dedicated 2 BR. The spacing is the same in that you have 2 BR 2 bath, living room, kitchen, laundry, and dining room like lock offs; but you have the one door and 1 balcony or patio vs 2. This arrangement is far better for families with small children; as everyone comes and goes together. There are links for Huntington Beach, and Crystal Cove (2 areas nearby that we enjoyed).

Colorado: Mountain Valley Lodge at Breckenridge. Though I've blogged quite a bit about Breckenridge, to date I've not posted any pictures of the condo. Here's a quick look at the outside.

It's a ski area, though we were there in the summer. The condo's are furnished like a ski lodge. There's a 1 BR and and 1 BR suite. The suite has a bath and half and sleeping for 3 in the living room with 2 in the pull out sofa and 1 in a day bed. We really enjoyed our stay there. The disadvantages perhaps is that getting there isn't that easy. You fly into Denver then drive to Breckenridge, (2 hours), and you're up around 10,000 feet so the altitude can be an issue. Since it's a ski area, there is limited access to outside from the condo. A small screen balcony with room to stand, not sit with your morning cup of coffee. There is no air conditioning here, as it's not needed in the mountains.

Florida: We've stayed at Ocean Pointe at Palm Beach Shores, and toured Oceana Palms at Singer Island. Oceana is the newest facility, a good walk down the beach. Ocean Pointe is a lock off arrangement (see above description), while Oceana Palms is a dedicated 2 BR. Oceana Palms is fancy and newer, though hubby and I prefer Ocean Pointe. There is a small walking community and you can go out to dinner from both locations without the need of a car. We would certainly entertain going back at either location.

South Carolina: We've stayed on Hilton Head Island 4 or 5 times and love it there. Marriott has a rather large presence on the island between the resort, 8 timeshares, and other accommodations in Residence Inn's etc. We've stayed in 3 of the 8 Marriott Time Shares, and have seen them all from the outside. All are very nice. Some are in the harbor area, some on the beach, some on the marsh. Heritage Club at Harbour Town is the smallest, the quietest and probably our personal favorite. It's geared much more for adults then children and families. There's golf there with your stay and hubby really enjoys that. It's within walking distance to Harbour town, and is inside Sea Pines Plantation. It's a dedicated 2 BR as all the timeshares on the island are. A few locations have 3 BR's as well. It's not on the water, but a short bike ride from the beach. Grande Ocean is probably the largest and has the most ocean frontage. We've stayed there a couple of times and would go back. It's just inside Sea Pines Plantation and within biking distance of Harbor Town. Marriott's Monarch is another favorite. It's smaller then Grande Ocean but larger then Heritage, on the beach, in Sea Pines, with easy access. Monarch is one of the timeshares that offers a 3 BR in addition to the standard 2 BR.

Ocean Watch Villas in Myrtle Beach are dedicated 2 BR, very small; probably the smallest of all the villas we've seen. The resort itself is quite pretty and the beach is nice; but the people were crabby. This is the ONLY Marriott we've been to that doesn't give people additional towels at the pool without charging extra. They have several play areas for children and seemed geared more towards young families then couples or groups. The buildings are highrises and by the time you pack up gear to go to the pool or the beach and get the elevator down...you're worn out, lol. You can't really walk or ride a bike anywhere from the resort to eat or shop. If you want to stay put and play in the sand, or read pool-side this is probably a good match.

Utah: We've stayed at Summit Watch several times and have another trip already booked there. We've toured Mountain Side also in Park City. Both of these timeshares are lock-offs so 1 and 2 BR's as well as efficiency's are available. These, like Breckenridge are ski resorts but great places to visit in summer months. Park City is easier to get to, just a short drive from The Salt Lake Airport, and there's not an elevation problem to adjust to. The biggest draw back to both of these locations is no outside feeling while indoors. There are no balcony's. Summit Watch is in downtown Park City with access to the mountain from the city lift. Mountain Side is on the mountain, a ski in ski out location. There are many blog posts with information about the area, as there is much to do and see. Just type Park City in the search at the top right corner of the blog. Mountain Side is larger, and newer and has more outside space with activities geared towards kids, and a larger pool. We prefer Summit Watch, a bit more adult oriented, from our perspective.

Virginia: Marriott's Ford's Colony and the Sequel in historic Williamsburg. Ford's Colony is a dedicated 2 BR and the sequel is a lock-off situation with the 1 and 2 BR's and quest/efficient suite. The grounds are beautiful, right on the golf course. There's a golf package based on your length of stay and owner ship level. The villas are beautiful. Hubby enjoyed the golf, though I'm not sure this is a location to return to. The pool at Ford's Colony is very small and over run with screaming children, the pool at the Sequel is larger, but not by much. It's the only Marriott timeshare we've stayed in without a pool bar. They sell a few pop-cycles but that's about it. The resort is nestled in an up-scale neighborhood so you feel like your not vacationing exactly. You can walk around the resort and neighborhood, but on vacation I'd rather not feel like I'm walking around the block.

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Loopy Road Leads to Landmark

2013-04-13T06:00:00.000-04:00

(L post)
Please click to enlarge and see the loopy road beneath this overlook. Look real carefully, you can see long away in the distance a car! We drove this loopy road with all it's switchbacks and scenery from Palm Desert up the mountain, and back down on the other side to Temecula.

See what I mean about loopy roads, long away. (Hey, it's another L word).

Aside from a photo opt with Hubby, it was a good to get out of the car a bit in order not to feel too dizzy.

AND...tadah, here we are at the Historic Landmark. It's a bit hard to read, but tells us Lake Hemet Dam and Reservoir were built in 1895 to irrigate the Hemet-San Jacinto Valley. It goes on to say this gravity arch masonary dam was the highest in the United States. Must have been quite a marvel when it was built with granite from the canyon valley below. You can spend time there camping, boating, and fishing. There are 2 camp grounds and also rentals available. AND if you want to do something really unique, you can go Rattle Snake Hunting....don't count me in for that adventure.

It's a fun, loopy, bit long drive with lots of long away vistas. But, hubby loves driving those types of roads. If you're one to get car sick, take the freeway and arrive in the wine valley of Temecula without being dizzy. We've taken this route twice; but after wine tasting it is not recommended you return by the same route.

It's a good day trip if you're staying in Palm Springs, Palm Desert.

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