Category Archives: Travel

So, I’m 40! I’m not too surprised that I’m embracing it with love, I have been working towards this acceptance after all. I wanted to ring in this next decade in a BIG way, so off to Northern Cali I went. My first three days were spent alone in the Redwoods between Carmel and Big Sur California, one of my favorite places. Landing in San Francisco around 12:30 my first stop was Baja Fresh for lunch. I can’t help it, ever since PFMan and I lived in Vegas, years ago, I have loved BF and don’t miss a chance to eat the veggie burrito. Then down the coast I go. HWY 17 is spectacular, a curvy, tree-lined drive, just breathtaking. I arrive in Carmel to do some shopping for my stay. I’m determined to go veggie while I’m here so I stock my cart with organic produce, strawberries, asparagus, & pistachios. I’ve brought my herbal teas from home as well, oh and chocolate with sea salt:-). I turn down Palo Colorado Rd. to head to Don Loui’s. This image above is the point where Palo Colorado Rd. meets the Pacific Coast Hwy. Turning off down Palo Colorado was magical. See I’m a dreamer in the sense that I love environments that transport me, and when you turn onto this road you are placed immediately into towering redwoods, like a land of fairies. You twist and wind amongst the quiet giants, houses placed into the sides of the mountains like they’ve been there forever, all blending in with the trees, completely part of the forest.

Here I have my bag of goodies, camera & backpack (which was packed in my luggage and now used to haul only the few items I’d need for this portion of my trip), and up the mountain I go. Not too bad, about five steep switchbacks, with little treasures at every corner. Then the Dragon House appears, unbelievable! I’m through the Dragon house tunnel and onto the Rainbow House where I’m staying. Don, the innkeeper, is an eccentric. He’s been on this property since 1983. Then it was him, the land and a tent. The Rainbow house he built first. Yes, him and his son. Previously he was a contractor and landscaper by trade and it shows. Today there are 4 buildings, The Rainbow & Dragon House (rentals), his own home and an octagon above the rest with windows looking out over the mountain and Pacific Ocean, used for yoga and/or meditation. Beautiful, peaceful! He’s created many trails all around the property as well.

Though I highly recommend staying here alone, as a couple or small family, this is not for everyone. Forget a warm shower and none at all in the Rainbow House. Luckily I like going rough and dirty, ha. There is no oven and only a propane burner for stove top, and it’s QUIET (aside from the very loud frogs and owls at night:-). I like to think of the house like a tree house on crack, seriously! And since I like being transported, it was perfect for me, like a kid again.

So what’s a girl to do all alone in the mountains? Hike, hike, eat at her favorite restaurant in Big Sur, play words with friends, ha, take lots of pictures and hike some more. To my chagrin there was no big AHA moment or anything, just time with myself which in itself is a BIG deal for me. In my past being along has been very difficult. A good friend of mine text-ed me while there questioning how I was doing alone. He said he talks to himself a lot when alone, lol. Me too:-). And I did, much of it in my head, some out loud. But I was comfortable with it, the oneness, and that’s a BIG deal!

Please enjoy some of the many photos I took while on this part of my trip and look for a post on me joining the girls in Wine Country soon:-)!

Peace!

Previous trip to Big Sur with my honey:-)!

I can’t help but look back at PFMan and I’s trip to Northern California this past July. We went to celebrate our 15th wedding anniversary, a bit early. I’m planning on going back in February to mark 40 years here on earth. Can’t think of a better way then to be surrounded by girlfriends, sipping wine, hiking in the redwoods, biking through wine country, etc.

PFMan had such an amazing trip. We did all of the above, took an incredible pedal ‘n paddle tour in Healdsburg, a town we absolutely LOVED! We booked the excursion through Getaway Adventures, our guide Tommy was super personable, knowledgeable on the wine growing process and the area. We started with a bike tour leaving from the Alexander Valley Campground, through the beautiful countryside filled with vineyards, first stop Robert Young, AMAZING wine here! This was one of three wineries we became members at and one of our favorites of the trip. Their Chardonnay is so rich and creamy! Then we headed to de Lorimier. Also good, but the highlight here was the beautiful pergola under which Tommy had set-up a seriously yummy spread of meets. cheeses, homemade salads, etc. Sweet! Time to sit back, relax before heading out the the Russian River for our 5-mile kayak trip back to the campground. A wonderful day, I highly recommend it!

So that was just one day, we also met with some very good friends, who in previous years had moved to N. California, for some trippin’ through wine country. It’s hard to pick a favorite day, but this one ranked high. On a friend of Wendi’s recommendation we ended up at Viansa. OMG! LOVE! This was our favorite vineyard/winery of the whole vacation. It felt like we had stepped off the train in Tuscany. The wines, every one we tasted, were all amazing, of course we became members, ha. They also have a large selection of marmalade, honey, sauces for everything and very unique I must say. I walked away with Truffled honey, and Chardonnay Carmel sauce. You can easily picnic here. They have a deli of sorts with packaged meats, cheeses, salads, and fresh baquettes. We grabbed a bottle of wine, an assortment of noshing grub and headed out to a table. This was one of the best lunches ever. Great friends, beautiful view, great food! Then we moved onto Cline Cellars and the goodness never ended.

We simply had way too much fun on this vacation. We spent a total of nine days in N. Cali, six of those in Wine Country, three nights in Guerneville (Russian River area, Redwoods – Hello!) and three nights in Sonoma, on the Plaza. We stayed at the El Dorado Hotel, right across the Girl and the Fig restaurant, a favorite of mine! We were also able to make it over to Bodega Bay, (Alfred Hitchcock – The Birds). Wowzer, COLD! But we had some super splendid clam chowder soup at the Spud Point Crab Co. and took the stunning drive up the coast to Jenner Beach. Watched the sea lions basking in the sun and playing in the water, took a nap in the car at Goat Rock, a walk in Armstrong Woods…. Enough said!

Other places we enjoyed immensely!

Willow Wood Market Cafe in Graton, Ca! – In the area? You must stop here.
The MacLeod Family Vineyard – I’ve been here twice now and will be going again. Call and make an appointment for a tasting/tour, you won’t regret it! Here’s a bit on the Vineyard when I went with my girlfriends this past February, this is becoming a trend:-).
Harvest Moon Cafe (just love the name) The ambience and food were both very good – in Sonoma on the plaza.
Spoonbar at Hotel Healdsburg!
Zazu – Farm to table in Sonoma
Also – The first three days of our trip were spent in Big Sur, you can check that out HERE!

Peace!

Continuing our journey in Ireland, we spent a day driving through a portion of Connemara in West Ireland. I had been told it was possibly the most beautiful countryside in all of Ireland, and since I can’t compare it to any other Irish countryside, I whole-heartedly agree! We did half the loop, starting in Galway City, heading west towards and through the Eastern Boundary of Connemara, Maam Cross. Our first official stop, aside from the many ‘pull aside the road to photograph sheep’, was the little town of Roundstone. This is still the favorite town we visited on our trip. It was almost a ghost town this time of year, not many businesses opened yet for the Spring. We stopped into O’Dowds, on the pubs in town. It was cold, so I had an Irish Coffee, so cliche’, and we ordered chowder, which we had as often as possible, it was both necessary with the temperatures, and better than most in the States.

We chose to take the R340 south, then a coastal country road West to R341 south to Roundstone, this allowed us to witness so many adorable yet breathtaking coastal towns and lots of sheep!

1st Part of Drive

The lovely creatures on the way to Roundstone:-).

Next stop Kylemore Abbey.  We left Roundstone going north, then East through Clifden.  Oh, I wished we had had more time to explore Clifden, it was breathtaking coming up on the town.  Much larger than Roundstone, we only had time to drive through to make time for Kylemore Abbey and getting back to Galway City for dinner.

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Kylemore Abbey, the stunning structure rose up out of the ground, almost glowing.  It was overcast by the time we arrived and it began to rain before we walked over to the Abbey. Really, it was just magical in this weather, with the steam coming off the lake and the grayish sky.  Personally I was drawn to the Gothic Church on the property, being a fan of this style of Architecture.  If we’d had more time we would have also toured the Victorian Gardens as well.

On the way back to Galway City, we stopped briefly in Leenane, home of the only Fjord in Ireland. Amazing how the mountains drop down into the river like that.  I can only imagine what seeing them in places like Norway must be like.

The fjord in Leenane, Connemara.

We could have easily spent a week just exploring Connemara, beautiful countryside and quaint coastal villages, and have I mentioned the mountains.  I was really ignorant arriving in Ireland, I had no idea they had mountains the size we saw.  Snow-capped and beautiful!  All a part of the Connemara landscape, and I haven’t mentioned yet the warmth of the people.  We found that the Irish are born raconteurs, they love to tell a story.  If you ask an Irishman a question, ask knowing you may learn some history.  A very open, helpful people they are.  So much so that prior to our trip we had read to get lost, ask for directions, it’s a great way to meet and learn about the locals.

Cliffs of Mohar, The Burrens and Dublin still to come….

Note about the sheep: And in case you are wondering about the different colors sprayed on the sheep . . . this is a branding technique. When it come times to round up the sheep, their ownership can be sorted out by their colors. I dubbed them sherbet sheep:-)!

Galway City

The Luck of the Irish that is.  We just returned home from our family trip to Ireland, kinda piggy-backed on PFMan’s yearly trek out there to broadcast live for St. Patty’s Day.  This would have been his third year in a row and I was not letting him go without us this time!

We flew out several days prior to the broadcast, finding our way by car to Galway City where we called home for our first four nights.  We stayed at the Kilcullen House B&B which is about a 10 minute walk outside of the City Centre, close enough to enjoy the city, but a distance from the noise.  Many times while walking in Galway I felt as if I were a character in a Dickens novel or a miniature in a Christmas Village scene.  I love that, the old worldliness of it. 

Our favorite food in Galway was hands down found at Ard Bia in the Spanish Arch.  It’s located in the Arch which is very medieval in style, but once you walk inside, it’s the small, cozy and very eclectic eatery.  It was love at first site.  The menu is so creative, using local and sustainable produce and meat sources, which I love!  My favorite entree was the St. Tola goats cheese & pistachio cracked wheat cake with wilted greens, garlic yogurt & muhumara.  I will crave this until I return! Honestly we couldn’t decide what to order so we had them bring us the two most popular starters and mains.  We were NOT disappointed.

Other places we enjoyed eating: McDonagh’s, O’Grady’s on the Pier (actually in Barna on the coast near Galway), and Griffin’s Bakery! McDonagh’s is THE place to go for your required Fish n’ Chips, with many different fish types to choose from you can’t go wrong here. O’Grady’s was recommended to us by Emer and Russel, the Inn keepers at Kilcullen House. It’s located in the tiny coastal village named Barna, just outside of Galway. Located on the pier, great views and the BEST chowder I’ve ever had in my life, no kidding! Griffin’s Bakery, originally founded in 1876 also recommended by Emer & Russell. OMG, we each picked a pastry and thank goodness we got four, they were all DELICIOUS. Again, the BEST scone ever. I could have died happy.

I have to stop here, with the food, I haven’t yet mentioned the PUBS, or the Irish Countryside or our time in Dublin or…. So, you’ll have to stay tuned and for now, enjoy the pictures.

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A few weekends ago my friend Lea and I flew to San Francisco to have a reunion with two girlfriends who had both, weirdly enough, moved out that way November 1st of 2009.  Girl trip, wine country, HELLO!  This trip for me was a roller coaster of emotions, reuniting the girlies, my first time in wine country, the fact that I’m DYING to move to the mountains….

Yep, PFMan and I have been restless for years now, we’re a bit nomadic and need to change our scenery.  Things here in St. Pete have kept us here for 11 years now, OMG!  Though it’s truly a beautiful place to live, I desire trees.  Not palm trees, REAL trees.  So we travel to them as much as possible.

On this trip, I got to see Redwoods!  AHHHHHHHHH, like heaven, and we really only drove through them on the way to the dramatic coast.  Wow!  This trip was really one Wow after another, I can’t say enough and can’t wait to return!

Another most amazing part of the trip was our tour of The MacLeod Family Vineyard.  George and Daughter in Law, Margie took us on a tour of their small (well not to me), 50-acre family vineyard.  They educated us about the different varietals they grow, the root systems, the process, really interesting.  As we rounded a corner, off in the distance, in the middle of the vineyard was a farmhouse table set up with wine glasses.  I turned to Lea, “OMG, do you think that’s for us?”  It was!!!  I could have cried, it felt like a movie.  It was truly perfect, I’ve never experienced wine like that before.  My favorite, their Sauvignon Blanc which is truly a miracle because I don’t drink white, especially not SB.  We also tasted their Zinfindel and Merlot.  I was worried that I wasn’t going to like the wine once I got it home, but I did:-)! If you ever get to Sonoma, it’s a must.

We totaled 6-7 different wineries, saw the forest, the coast and shared great times with good friends. Couldn’t have asked for me, except to someday live there.

We recently returned from our annual family cruise. This year we opted for an itinerary to the Southern Caribbean out of San Juan, PR.  The ports: Curacao, Aruba, Dominica & St. Thomas (USVI).  Going into this we were most looking forward to Dominica, loving islands rich in lush foliage & rain forests, it didn’t disappoint.  We took advice from dear friends of ours, who’ve spent some time on the island, and we grabbed a driver who took us to Trafalgar Falls.  Here we spent our day.  While other tourists only walked to the observation platform to take a picture of the falls, we grabbed a guide who hiked us further in to the falls where we basked in natural hot and cold springs.  Our PFson calls them nature’s hot tubs:-).  It was truly stunning, miraculous to see.  We also learned that Dominica has 365 rivers, one for every day of the year they like to say.

On the way back to the ship we stopped at the highly recommended River Rock Cafe’. Here we were introduced to Kubuli, the award winning beer of Dominica. It was GOOD!  We met the owner Dennis who whipped us up two amazing dishes of fish & shrimp.  I tried breadfruit for the first time, kinda dry and bland, but I tried it, the creole sauce was amazing!

There is so much more to explore on this island, the downside to it being a cruise port, not enough time. I guess we’ll have to add it to our ever growing list of travel destinations.

Ciao!
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we go on a cruise:-).  So we’ve been on this extreme lean protein/complex carbs (6X daily) diet since Sunday the 2nd, amazingly have been doing very well.  PFMan and I have both noticed that we’re never hungry and never too full, our digestion is great, no issues & we’re both down about 4-5 lbs.  I’ve been doing a little Pilate’s, Zumba, other cardio and strength training, not as much as I need to, but way more than I was.  Feeling pretty good, but this morning we leave for San Juan to board a cruise, whooo hoooo & Holy food!

Of course we’ve known about the cruise for months, so when we began eating differently we knew this would be a curve ball.  We aren’t typical American cruise goers, taking two plates or more at the buffet, ordering two entrees at dinner.  We’ve always had our normal fill, yes dessert.  This time I’m going to try to temper it a bit more.  White egg omelette with veggies and no bacon, oh please give me strength, instead of my usual regular omelette loaded with veggies, cheese and bacon. Yes, drinking will be had, I love Margaritas, Beer, Mojitos and Bellini’s while cruising!  This cruise I will search out more activities, I know they have boot camps, Pilate’s, the gym.  YES I WILL!  I of course will share with you how I did when we return. (snicker)

For now I leave you with a few pictures from our last family cruise.

Bon Voyage!!

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I find myself thinking of the mountains often. I love being outside amongst the trees, listening to them talk in the wind, seeing the flickering Aspens, looking up to see the glowing rays of the sun shining through the limbs. The Peace. This year our family has focused a bit more on getting into the mountains. Living in Florida, the mountains are something we experience rarely, and yet crave so often. At the beginning of summer we stayed in a primitive campground near the Ocoee River in Tennessee called Tumbling Creek. The campsites are right on the creek where the sounds of water running over the rocks are so soothing. Then getting up in the morning to splash your face with the stinging cool water is incredibly rejuvenating…it’s truly a spiritual experience!

We recently returned home from a weeks vacation in Colorado, a state we have wanted to visit for a long time. The mountains seen here are like I’ve never witnessed before. This must be where the term Majestic comes from. The air up there is cool and crisp with little to no humidity – you just feel Alive! We didn’t want to come home and are already planning our return. Last night I photographed an event for the Alpha House of Pinellas County where I bid and won a week stay at a lovely home in Murphy, NC. This is right outside where we stayed in Tennessee and I’m so excited to have this next trip to the mountains to look forward to.

I do see us living in the mountains someday, I don’t know when, just someday. And then, of course, I’ll crave the ocean, ha.

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Michael (PFMan) and I have wanted to visit Colorado for years now.  It’s also a place we’ve thought might be nice to live sometime.  We brought our kids out here this past Saturday and I’m sooooo incredibly happy that we still have four days before returning home.  It is even more stunning then I could have ever imagined, the terrain, the landscapes, the weather, the people.  I’m soaking ever bit of this in to carry with me until we can get out here again and again.  My family is sitting behind me contemplating how much food to bring on our hike to Mohawk Lake today.  Seems we may be out there longer then we thought.  We just ate a yummy breakfast at Blue Moose.  I so love a good pancake.

Anywho, PFMan is now at the grocery store getting some grub for our hike and I’ve just completed enhancing an image that I took with my I-phone from our balcony.  Nice view huh?  Wouldn’t mind waking to this every morning at some point.  Oh my, and to see this with a blanket of white snow, (Big Sigh here, then smile).

I have a lot more to say about this trip, but I have to git for now:-)  Be back soon with lots more details and photos too!

Coco Cay - Royal Caribbean Private Island

Sickness? Maybe. I was around 8 or 10 when my parents took my sister and I on our first cruise. We took several more and I was hooked. There was an 8-year gap from our last family cruise, during my childhood, and 1995 when my husband (then boyfriend) and I took our first vacation together on the Carnival Sensation. He was hooked too, yay!! Well, 20 plus cruises later and I still can’t wait until our next departure. January 2011 on Royal Caribbean’s Adventure of the Seas leaving out of San Juan to the Southern Caribbean. Big Smiles inserted here!

Living in Florida, we are only 30min-4hours away from four different cruise ports, it’s hard not to cruise. It’s so easy, lightly pack, get on board and think about nothing for 4-7 days, it’s all done for you. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE an adventure vacation just as much, I think of it as being well-balanced, ha!

So what’s to love about a cruise. For us, everything, it’s the perfect family vacation. We have family time, adult time and the kids have their time too. Most cruise lines today have really amazing youth and teen programs which keep the kiddos happy and occupied for hours. Our kids have to be pried away to spend time with us sometimes. Then there are pools, mini-golf, rock-climbing walls (on some lines) and so many other things to keep you busy. The food is all planned out and available most hours of the day and many cruise lines are adding My Time Dining so you can now choose to eat when you’re ready instead of the predetermined early and late sitting being your only option.

Then the ports of call. We can’t get enough of the Western Caribbean, Mexico. Over the years I’ve seen Cozumel go from a beautiful mostly non-touristy destination to Cancun #2. But I still love it! I even love all the pushy sales people trying to lure you in the shops. It’s part of the charm and a simple No Gracias, a smile and keep walking works every time. But whatever you do, don’t miss Pancho’s Backyard!

As far as costs go cruising is an affordable vacation, especially if you go during off-season like September and January. Plan on spending top dollar during Spring and Summer Break.

I spend some free time on my favorite cruise site Cruise Critic. If you have questions about a particular cruise line, ship, destination or any minute detail, this is where you go to find the answers and opinions of other cruise addicts.

Here’s a lengthy review I wrote on Cruise Critic of a last minute Carnival Cruise we took once.