Our last trip of 2011 was to travel to Panama City Beach Florida the first week of November 2011.  We stayed at the Wyndham Vacation Resorts Panama City Beach.  This area is known for its Emerald Waters and White Sands. We stayed in one of the Presidential Reserve 2 Bedroom Units on the 20th floor.  What a view from up there!

We came with relaxation on our minds to sit on the beach or near the many pools and soak up the sun and read a good book or two.  In the evenings we went to Pier Park which was just down the street for an assortment of excellent dinning and shopping opportunities.  Then back to our balcony or to the pool to enjoy one of the many beautiful sunsets.

While visiting the WorldMark in Pismo Beach, my girlfriends and I took full advantage of the Harvest Wine Festival, which is an annual event that occurs on the third weekend of every October. The festival is a time when  Paso Robles wineries invite the public to celebrate the year's harvest with fun events, including crushing, tours, barbecues, live music, and even complimentary tastings.

Here we are again- Part 3.  We are now in Moab, Utah.  A wonderful place to sight see in Arches National Monument and to 4-wheel.  We have rented another jeep and are starting our 4-wheeling adventure.  The first picture is at Gemini Bridges.  The other one, below, is on our 4-wheeling adventure.  That little line (road) in the picture is where we will end up after going down a mountain side!

The weather is hot but dry.  To me it was comfortable, but when you are sightseeing, you must remember to carry lots of water along with you.  When we rented the jeep from Moab Adventures, they provide a large ice chest full of ice and bottled water.  All we needed to do is bring along a healthy lunch and snacks.

Recently, a few girlfriends and I spent an extended weekend in Pismo Beach, a charming ocean town on the central coast of California. At first glance, a visitor could mistake Pismo Beach for any seaside location. Several restaurant signs and menus boast their superlative "World Famous Clam Chowder," and saltwater taffy, surf, and sand art are within mere blocks of each other. However typical this may all seem, we found that this particular beach town stood out above the rest because of their food, their events, and their proximity to premium wine country.

Sometimes Iyou just need to get away.  After a back injury ruined some summer plans, I decided to stay close after I had surgery to correct the problem.  I am fortunate to not only live close to many beautiful nature scapes, but also to some very significant historical sites.

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania is one of those significant historical sites.  It is home to one of the bloodiest battles in the Civil War, but also to the famous "Gettysburg Address" in which President Abraham Lincoln declared a "new birth of freedom" in the United States.  2011 marks the Gettysburg 150 events which strive to encourage the legacy that the Gettysburg battle provided in changing the direction of the Civil War. 

Welcome back to Part 2. We stayed 3 days at the Wyndham Durango.  Durango is known for the Narrow Gage Railroad that travels from Durango to Silverton carrying passengers back in time to a small gold mining town of yesteryear.  We did not take the trip this year but have many times in the past.

Whenever my husband and I are planning a car trip, we usually can not sleep the night before we leave.  Nothing was different this time.  We got up at 3AM and were out the door by 4AM with a cup of coffee in hand, excited for our new adventure.

It was lunch time the second day out and we stopped in Lexington, KS at The Victorian Peddler for lunch.  What a pleasant and refreshing lunch of chicken salad and two kinds of melon- delicious!  Across the street was a cute restored building with the name
Alexander Mitchel on the window.  This building was a banking company and was robbed in 1866 by Jesse James in broad daylight; he got away with $2,000. Today it is a cute gift shop.

Want a quiet place that has both beach and pools? A place to sit back and relax, read a good book, spend quality time with family? Well, Edisto Island in South Carolina is the place for you.

My daughter Jennifer and her family and my husband and I spent a leisurely week at Edisto Island in South Carolina. In July it is HOT, HOT, HOT, and did I mention Humid? But there is the ocean where there is always a breeze and lots of pools to keep you cool.

We just returned from a much needed spring break. The winter months in Chicago had worn us down - it evened snowed the day we left (in late April!) - and we were all in dire need of sunshine. A quick flight to Miami followed by an even quicker flight to the big island of the Bahamas was all it took to get us out of our winter rut. Our resort of choice, the Wyndham Viva Fortuna Beach was just right: the beautiful ocean view, the spotless, white sand beach, and the crystal clear, warm Bahamian waters were all we needed to enjoy some uninterrupted family together time.

 

My husband Jerry and I stayed at Marsh Point at the Wyndham Ocean Ridge Resort.  Our unit was an older unit but we really enjoyed it.

The unit was clean, well maintained, and just what we needed for the week.
We came here to check out the area where we are bringing our family in July of this year for a week's vacation.