Category Archives: Travel

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.

Italy has always been the most important European country for me to visit and my wish came true this April. My husband and I brought Mema and Pop Pop to Florida to watch the kiddos while we whisked ourselves away for two weeks. We focused on Liguria, home of Le Cinque Terre, the five villages. They are Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore. This region is rich with culinary splendors and the local wine called Sciacchetrà, a straw wine, typically drank with cheese or desserts. They are fisherman villages, and wine villages, known for the best pesto and focaccia in Italy. As well, you must have the acciuga, anchovies, a specialty of Monterosso.

This region is also a part of the Cinque Terre National Park. There are walking trails connecting the five towns and the difficulty levels range from an easy stroll to a rough and physically challenging hike. The segment of the hike between Riomaggiore and Manarola is called the Via Dell’Amore (“Love Walk”). We enjoyed bringing along a little nosh to sit and enjoy during our hike. The towns are each unique in there own way, our favorite was Monterosso al Mare, it has two distinct sides, the new and old. We spent most of our time in Old Town at the Enoteca’ de Eliseo a beautiful little wine bar run by husband and wife, Eliseo and Mary. They serve bottomless bowls of the most amazing capers, they are huge in size and flavor.

This is where you can buy jars of the best pesto to take home and the little pasta called Trofie, Combine them to make Trofie al Pesto!

Trofie al Pesto

We also loved Corniglia. Unlike the other towns of the Cinque Terre, Corniglia is not located on the sea. Instead, it is on the top of the mountain, surrounded on three sides by vineyards and terraces and the fourth side descends steeply on the sea. We found a lovely place to stop for vino named Il Pirun, run by Mario. After you finish up with a drink downstairs, wind your way up the spiral staircase to the second floor for a wonderful meal.

Whatever you do, DO NOT leave here without buying several bags of the olive oil crackers they serve with the wine. These are addicting.

For now, Ciao!  I’ll be back with Venice on our next tour of our trip to Italy.