Real Travel

I love to shop online, but sometimes it's hard to know what you might be getting. Therefore, before purchasing any item online, I enjoy reading reviews from actual people who have used the product or service. When you're traveling, it's also hard to know the best places to eat, stay, etc. You can buy a book, but that's just one person's opinion. I like getting multiple viewpoints, and knowing the words are coming from real people.

Real Travel is a website dedicated to bringing travel lovers great information from fellow travelers. I like their slogan: "Real people. Real Advice. Real Experiences." The site brings together information in a variety of ways: featured bloggers, travel plans, destinations, and things to do. There's also a forum and a section with useful deals. The site has great pictures and content from numerous travelers about countless different destinations. Real Travel is attractive and easy to navigate


Both Forbes and Newsweek have touted the virtues of Real Travel. So, if you're looking to get outta Dodge, go check it out. You're certain to get some fabulous ideas and tips.

~t

Aloha

I've been working now for about 3 1/2 months. Honestly, when I write that down, it seems ridiculous to me. It feels like much longer. It feels like so much longer. I have begun to dream of tropical vacations. My dear friend Bonnie raves about Hawaii, Kauai specifically. Now that I'm on the West Coast, it somehow seems much more doable to go to Hawaii. Also, it's relatively easy to get a great Kauai Vacation Condo.

Even better, by taking advantage of a Kauai Vacation Condo opportunity, tourists are participating in the growing field of ecotourism. The focus in ecotourism is on nature, culture, and benefiting the local community of the place toured. Now that's tourism I can really get behind. And if I get a fabulous vacation at an affordable price in a sweet Hawaiian condo, all the better.

This site linked above is cool because it makes it easy to search for homes, condos, or hotels based on your destination, dates, price range, and number of guests. Check it out!

~t

Rainbow Sandals

The crazy, cold, snowy weather we've been having that is signaling winter's last hurrah (I hope) has me dreaming of the summer to come. Also, I talked to a woman today who is about to leave for Hawaii.

If you fall into either the "dreaming and planning" category or the "lucky to be going on a tropical vacation" category, you should check out these rainbow sandals. These things look amazing. They are attractive sandals, yes, but also so much more. These puppies are made to last, with life support parachute stitching and 2,000 lb test military spec strap. They also mold to fit the wearer, so they become very comfortable with time. Very nice.



~t

Holiday in Italy

Kevin has always wanted to own a second home. I'm not so sure, because I think one home is quite enough to manage. But, when I see things like this Property in Calabria, I start to consider it.



For me, it brings to mind movies like Roman Holiday and Under the Tuscan Sun, and even a screenplay I started in college and never finished. There is something both idyllic and real about living the Italian lifestyle that appeals Americans and Brits. It's about slowing down and being sensuous. Enjoying beauty and art and fine food. Drinking wine and dining al fresco. When I think of owning property in Italy, that's what comes to mind.

And I have to admit, it's pretty darn appealing.

~t

Egypt Travel

When I think of travel destinations, Egypt probably wouldn't have come to mind first. After seeing some of these amazing photos, that might change. I'm sure that Kevin would love it. He is all about ancient civilizations and even considered being an archeologist at one point.

The photographs on this page are of the Sakara Pyramids. Near Cairo, these pyramids are said to have the very first pyramid every built and include the world's oldest stone structure. And the area is just beautiful. Check out these photos!











~t

More Vacation Dreams: Florida

I have a friend who lives in Wisconsin and goes down to Florida alone on a regular basis. Her children are grown and they have children of their own, so that's not an issue. She leaves her husband and just has her alone time, walks the beach, attends classes, sees movies, etc. Now that sounds like a really nice thing to do, and easier to do if not in a majorly tourist area.

A great way to accomplish a trip like this is the many by owner florida vacation rentals. It's also a nice option if you decide to take the family with you. Since the place you would be renting is an actual home, you'll generally have benefits like a full kitchen to do your own cooking. That's a real cost saver with a family. This one looks really nice for that at 3 bedrooms, 2 baths and a fabulous beachfront. It even has a heated pool. I've stayed in condos on the beach before, and that's been great fun. I wonder if I could convince Kevin this would be a good idea.

~t

Aloha Hawaii

Just about this time of year we all start dreaming about a tropical vacation. Now that I'm on the west coast, Hawaii seems like a really nice option. Although I've never been there myself, I know a few people who have visited or lived there and I hear positively lovely things about the islands.

When I went to Paris, I stayed in an apartment right in town, and that was fabulous. There are a lot of by owner hawaii vacation rentals available for a similar kind of experience there. The above site is a great place to find options that you can rent directly from the owners or managers. Hey, wasn't there just a movie with Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet where they did something like that? I wonder if the Hawaii rentals include a fling with Jude Law. Somehow I doubt it, but it doesn't hurt to ask. (Just kidding, I wouldn't ask for that.)

~t

Ten Chimneys

Before I was gainfully unemployed I worked at Ten Chimneys. It's hard to explain what Ten Chimneys is, easily. It's many things to many people. Originally, Ten Chimneys was the estate of 20th century Broadway legends Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne. It was their home, their summer retreat, the place where they created, entertained, and relaxed. Their friends came to stay and enjoy the renowned hospitality of Lynn and Alfred. These were people like Noel Coward, Helen Hayes, Laurence Olivier, Katharine Hepburn and other luminaries of the day.

Lynn and Alfred built Ten Chimneys from the ground up. It is as personal as a diary and holds the history of early 20th Century theatre. Not only that, but it hold their ideals, their values, the things that made them great and can inspire us and future generations to greatness. These values are intangible but important: friendship, creativity, hard work, dedication, family, discipline, reflection, and whimsy, just to name a few.

The place itself is beautiful: 60 acres of rolling hills in the southern Kettle Moraine of Wisconsin. Three picturesque buildings with hand-painted murals and curtains made by the first lady of 20th century American Theatre, Lynn Fontanne. It is important to preserve this space for all of us to remind us of the values, so we can tell the stories and remember.

Ten Chimneys is now an official National Historic Landmark. It is a house museum with tours from May through November. It is a center for the arts where important work in theatre happens to this day, as it did when Lynn and Alfred lived there. Visit in person, or online if you cannot get there. But visit. If you'd like to learn about touring, visit here. If you'd like to donate, click here.

~t

Bulgaria

Another kid-party related post. This is so funny. Just yesterday, Kevin was looking for kid party games. He searched online and found some of the weirdest games we ever had heard of. I don't know the link, but there was one where you make kids smell different flowers and identify what flowers they are. Well, that sounds sweet, but first of all, where would we get all these flowers in Washington in January, and second of all, those kids wouldn't be able to identify them! Maybe it's a sad commentary.

And then there were the games mentioning "the Bulgarians". There were also some adult games where you make someone drink a glass of wine and some where you make an appointment for someone else? Like what? A dental appointment? That's not a game, that's called being a wife! We thought it was very odd until Kevin realized he had found a Russian site. Nothing against Russians or Bulgarians, but it was just very funny to us. The cultural differences were quite obvious even though it was hard to spot at first.

So, then Bulgaria came up for me again today, when I read about sofia property. Apparently, Bulgaria has a lot going on! They were just accepted into the EU this month. There are beautiful beaches and resorts and great skiing.



Who knew? Sometimes living in the United States it's easy to become insular. It's great we have the internet to broaden our horizons. Yay, Bulgaria.

~t

Lovely San Fran

Our friend, Zabrina Tipton, who lives in San Francisco just sent us a lovely book of her photographs, At Night in San Francisco. It's bringing back some fun memories for me. I was very lucky to be able to travel to California from Milwaukee when I was a senior in high school. I was there for National DECA (Distributive Education Clubs of America) competition. (Yay me.) Anyway, although the competition was in San Jose, we took some time off and explored the surrounding areas

There are so many Great Places in San Francisco. I had a blast there. Of course, we had to see the Golden Gate Bridge. That's a classic. One of my favorites was the audio tour of Alcatraz. I was surpised how much I loved it, but it was fascinating. We even took some funny pictures. (I'm sure everyone does.) Sorry, that was before digital, so I have no idea where they are! The funniest part about my pictures was that my high school friend who was taking them got the open cell door in the pic. That was so not the point of the picture. Oh well. We also very much enjoyed Chinatown and Fisherman's Whorf. Overall, I highly recommend visiting. We might go back to see Zabrina ourselves.



~t

Oh Mickey You're So Fine!

And by that I mean Mickey Mouse, of course. I was just talking about my friend Erika in the previous post, and she's currently in Orlando, visiting her ex-in-laws. Yeah, figure that one out--you leave the marriage, but you keep the in-laws! She's been sending along some very cute pictures of her family at Disney World, which is of course, the big draw there. She's staying with the fam, but if you're not lucky enough to have ex-in-laws in Orlando, there's always Orlando hotels. They also have fabulous resorts and vacation homes.

I was interested to read that Orlando has 52 theme parks. FIFTY-TWO! Disney is a draw, but that's clearly not all they have to offer. Since it's such a competitive industry there, the theme parks are constantly updating themselves, as well. There's always something new to see, even if you've been there before. The parks are continually adding rides and attractions. Additionally, warm ocean beaches are within 40 minutes by car. If that's not your thing, top-rated golf courses abound. There are many options for family friendly travel in Orlando, so check it out!

~t

Vegas Hotels, Baby

When we went to Vegas, we knew we were staying at the Bellagio because we were there for a wedding, and that's where the wedding party was staying. That was easy. And it was fabulous. But now that I've been there and seen all the choices for hotels, I can see how it would be completely overwhelming to try to select one site unseen.

Las Vegas Hotels have so many different personalities, price ranges, and styles, it's great to find a site that gives honest reviews from real people who have stayed there. Check it out!

~t

Sedona Travel

Sedona is a very popular destination for those interested in metaphysical studies due to the vortex energy associated with that area of the country.



I traveled there a few years ago and especially enjoyed the natural beauty of the area. There's been a lot of talk about camping at one of my forums recently. I will show you my favorite way to camp:





If you are interested in travelling to Arizona, a lovely place to stay is the above Southwest Inn at Sedona, combination bed and breakfast.

I recently had a somewhat disappointing stay at a hotel, so I'm a little bit more inclined to go with only the best when I travel. This place looks like it fits that bill. A unique combination of a small luxury hotel and a top quality bed and breakfast, with large beautiful rooms and fantastic customer service, Southwest Inn has been voted "the best place to stay in Sedona" three years in a row by "Sedona Scene". It looks really good right about now.



~t

Hotel Reservations.com

Planning on taking any holiday trips? Or planning ahead for a summer getaway? (That sounds nice.) Some people like to fly by the seat of their pants with these things, but if you're like me, I like to make Hotel Reservations. This site can help you out. Of course, there are a lot of different places on line to make reservations. With hotelreservations.com, you can find hotels all over the world, check availability, and also gets flights, cars, and special vacation packages. In all fairness, one hotel I did check in my area didn't seem to have that deep of a discount, but I can't really say about all the others. It's worth a check!





~t

A Home In the Desert

I really was never that into the desert. I generally prefer the ocean or forest. But Kevin has always wanted to get a second home. I was not too sure about that idea, either--I know how much work one home is! But he always tells me this is for when we are rich, and someone else will take care of it. Ok, that sounds good.

After living in the super rain belt now for 6 months, I could see how an Arizona home in a gorgeous place like Cave Creek Resort Casitas might be a nice break once in a while. Plus, when you're not there, you can rent it out. One doesn't even have to necessarily be rich.

And I just like the sound of "Resort Casitas". Sounds like a margarita waiting to happen. Hey, could you come down to the casita for a margarita? Why yes, I could!

~t

Have Sagittarius, Will Travel

In honor of the Jupiter's recent entry into Sagittarius, I thought a post about some unique travel sites was in order. You see, Jupiter rules Sagittarius and both are all about expansion, and what's more expansive than travel? Sagittarians are well-known for their love to gad about the world and it's their time of year (for the unastrologically-inclined, the sun is currently in Sagittarius, meaning the Sagges will be having birthdays or just did. Kevin's is Saturday!) Why not surprise the Sagittarius in your life with an impromptu trip? He or she will love you for it.

Don't know where to start? Check out 50 Travel Sites - courtesy of Luggage Online. If you're a Sagittarius yourself and lookin' to get outta Dodge, you've probably visited travel sites before. (Am I right or am I right?) This list is likely to have some unique sites you haven't seen before and includes entries from many different varieties of travel: international, student, discount, or as the site promoter said "just plain old USA". That cracks me up. There are so many AMAZING things to see right here in my home country (I know I have some international readers.) It was probably a Sagittarius who's been everywhere who wrote that! ;)



~t