Photo from website

For some reason I have a little soft spot for staying in a bed and breakfast. Something so cozy and homey about them that I so enjoy. Probably this is a romanticized view on my part that just the words Bed and Breakfast can evoke that response

I remember the very first one I visited some years years ago that started it all. It was winter, during the holiday season and my daughter Jenn and I, as we traditionally did at that time of year, always found one special thing to do just for us that was fun and festive. That particular year we decided to spend the night in a bed and breakfast. It just screamed pampering and indulgence to us. Being a single mom, we always seemed to have to watch how we spent our money. So, to us, going to a B&B seemed to be really a big deal.

We were living in Maryland at the time and wanted to find a nice place close by that we could drive to. We found just what we were looking for in the sleepy little town of Charles Town, West Virginia. Even though this is a place of historic note with battlefields of the Civil War all around, there was nothing of particular of interest that drew us there. We went solely to experience a bed and breakfast.

The one we selected was called The Washington House Inn on  It was all decked out for Christmas which made it even more spectacular to us. A big sleigh on the porch filled with wrapped gifts hinted at the surprises within and made an eye popping first impression.

I remember our room at the time with it brass and trundle beds, rose and vine wallpaper, terry robes in the old fashioned bathroom, our own fireplace. It was very girlie. There was this little landing filled with antiques outside our room and the main floor salon had a Christmas tree where we sat and had cookies.

Photo from website

That evening we bundled up and took a walk. There was this town hall or some such that had a candlelight tour that we did and that was about it as I recall. But we had a great time IN the B&B which was just what we set out to do.

Photo from website

The breakfast was wonderfully presented. We were served a big home cooked breakfast in the dining room. I can’t recall what we ate any longer, but I still remember the presentation -the lace tablecloth, the holiday china. I even remember the little springs of pine on our plates. And the delightful hostess served in her long period dress, apron and cap. It was such fun. We felt very well taken care of by the owners there.

I have been to a few more since then. Different amenities and locals. But to me this is the one that still stands out in my memory.

Photo by moon 69

Ever wonder how you are supposed to carry on a purse, a tote with stuff for the flight and your laptop? I used to take my small roll on suitcase and a purse. But now it makes more sense to use a multipurpose approach. In my small backpack, I can tote my laptop, my digital camera, my cell phone, a bottle of water and a snack, a book to read, and a small wallet. Best part is that carrying it on your back is pretty easy when jockeying up and down escalators. I have everything I would need for the flight all in one place.

The rest can go in my roll on which I can just check if I can’t also take it with me on board. Besides the usual packing items, I can pack a very soft and a collapsible tote bag that can double for a purse and shopping bag when I get to my destination.

                                                                                  Photo by Dave McLean

I am in the market for purchasing some airline tickets to a couple of places for this summer. I was just thinking to myself that I wish I could figure the best days to get the best buys on tickets. Quite by accident while going online to follow up on a totally unrelated news report on ABC this morning I found another report on “What is the Best Day to Buy Cheap Airfare”. Now, if that isn’t the universe speaking to me, I don’t know what is.

The column, written by Rick Seaney, a noted expert on air travel, offered some good advice to get a good deal. He confirmed what I already figured out with my searches for good flights. In his opinion – there is a method.

First, don’t be in a huge rush to buy too soon. He noted that four months before is time enough to start looking. He also said that you should shop around a bit to get a good ballpark of going rates among the airlines so that when specials are advertized you will know if it really is a good deal. Usually, there are not many seats at those prices, so don’t delay or they will be gone.

If you can wait, sometimes, as the date gets closer, you could see an airline offer a sale, usually on a Monday. And by mid day on Tuesday the other airlines will follow. So, Seaney says that Tuesday afternoons are the best days to get a good price. Wednesdays and Saturdays are good days for a deal too as people don’t often pick those days to travel.

Other considerations are the time of day. Most do not prefer real early mornings or late at night, so there could be some deals there too if you don’t mind the inconvenience.

If travel dates are flexible he reminds that off season travel or not going the day before or after a holiday would save you too.

Finally, he suggests using a site that will show you monthly calendars with posted fares for each day and you can do that at his site. I went there and put in my travel dates and could see the prices day to day. It was great. I also was able to sign up for email alerts reporting price changes. Take a look. It was a bit of good luck that I was able to find his report just when I was thinking about it for myself and then to be able to share the tips with you.

FIRE AND ICE

Some say the world will end in fire,

Same say in ice.

From what I’ve tasted of desire

I hold with those who favor fire.

But if it had to perish twice,

I think I know enough of hate

To say that for destruction ice

is also great

And would suffice.

 by Robert Frost

It is the first day of March. From what I hear on the weather reports, half of the USA is still covered in snow, many without heat or electric. I have heard from so many of my friends, especially those stuck in their houses, that cabin fever is rampant.

Being in Florida, I took a lovely walk in my favorite local park, Shalom Park, this afternoon. The musky smells of wet soil mingled with the sweet smells of first blooms on the bushes, a cool, gentle breeze. What could have been more perfect to get my juices flowing with some ideas of how to beat those winter blues.

So why Robert Frost? Well, I get a lot of emails about some wonderful places to visit. And, I thought I would share two of them with you in case you are one who is lucky enough to plan a spur of the moment little get-a-way. One is fire, the other, ice.

How would you like to head to a tropical island, sand and sun, sunsets, romance? Try Sandals Royal Carribean.

by NAIMA Broome

Or

Sherry by a fire, a soak in a hot tub surrounded by snow, a sleigh ride and a home cooked gourmet breakfast in a quaint B&B? Then go to the Inn at Buck Hollow Farm in Vermont.

by bv305

These both struck me as incredibly inviting. Fire and Ice.

The good news is that both of these places are offering great deals and hefty discounts right now. You can get all of this and at special prices if you can hurry while the getting is good. Not a bad way to get through these last weeks of winter. What a great prelude to Spring!

Photo by pellaea

I am a list person. I make lists to tell me what groceries to buy. I make lists to remind me of any appointments I have each month. I make to do lists for the week and for the day- every day. It is no wonder then that I make lists when I am getting ready to pack a bag – even if it is just for a weekend.

I start with how many days worth of STUFF I need to organize.

I have categories. All together I do clothes, medications and vitamins, cosmetics, snacks and water for on the way, camera, tickets-itinerary-travel book, money, cell phone and charger, hair care items, outer wear – will I take a wrap, a sweater, a coat, rain gear. It all depends on where I am going and the time of year.

First I select clothes which also includes accessories- like jewelry , shoes, slippers, robe and pj’s.

I count out the correct number of changes of clothes I will need. Then I make piles for each day for what I will need to make a complete outfit, starting with undies and all the way to accessories. If I need a special item for a night out, for example, that goes on the list. After I have all the clothes, accessories, including shoes, then I move on to each category and lay out the piles as I go.

When I have all the piles assembled, I go back to the list and check things off to make sure I didn’t miss anything. Finally, it is time to pack. Sigh of relief!! Some may find this tedious, but for folks like me, it is worth it to start out a trip feeling relaxed and prepared.

                                                                        Photo by gourabstock

I guess I have been lucky in that of all the times I have traveled somewhere be it car, train or air, I have never had an incident where I actually needed or even thought about getting traveler’s insurance. When I think of all the things that could have gone wrong, I wonder why it never occurred to me to purchase some.

Recently, I was contemplating taking an overseas and rather expensive trip and one of the things the tour company discussed was the purchasing of protection. That prompted me to think about it more carefully and to do a little research into why it might be a beneficial thing to have.

When planning an expensive trip months in advance there are a number of things that could happen. What if plans change – an accident, illness, weather emergency? What happens then? What if you get to a place and your luggage doesn’t? What if you are in a tropical place and a hurricane hits? What if you are involved in an accident? Does you own medical insurance cover you?

I think that for the majority of times, most travel worry free. Yet, there is that old adage “better to be safe than sorry”.

Anyone out there have an experience where having insurance saved the day? Or, on the other hand, anyone have a sad tale about not having it and wishing you had? I’d like to hear what you think.

Photo by Cactusautobus

Most people are aware that drinking water in foreign places can likely cause water-borne illnesses ( you’ve heard of Montezuma’s Revenge?) because you might not have adapted to the water the way that folks local to an area have. So we know not to drink the local water unless you can boil it or have those little pills that would purify the water and to ask for bottled water. But there might be other areas to watch out for that might not be so obvious.

If you can’t drink the water, you probably shouldn’t use it to brush your teeth either. I also wonder about ice cubes. Would there be any risk to having iced drinks? What about fresh fruit and veggies? Would they be washed in local water? Seems like there might be some risk there too. Anyone have any thoughts or information on this?

I figured I would hop on over to CDC to see if I could find out anything more definitive. There is a handy pdf there “A Guide to Drinking Water Treatment and Sanitation for Backcountry and Travel Use”.

Photo from WhistlerBlackcomb.com/photo index.htm

As we speak the Olympic Flame is making its way to its final destination of Vancouver in beautiful British Columbia, Canada where it will upon its arrival on February 12^th announce the beginning of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. The Olympics, always entertaining and exciting on its own, will also highlight the rich diversity and spectacular destinations in and around Vancouver.

Photo by NDushesne

One of the most impressive parts of the Olympics for me is to watch the dazzling opening ceremony with all the pomp of lighting the torch and watching the athletes enter in the parade of nations. And equally inspiring is the closing ceremony where the flag is passed to the next country to host the games. All the days in between are filled with ice events, such as alpine skiing and jumping, snow boarding cross-country skiing, bobsleigh and luge – some taking place in metro Vancouver and Cypress Mountain and some in Whistler. The winter games are thrilling and my favorite to watch. For those lucky spectators who will be visiting during the Olympics, there is a plethora of sites offering  travel and ticket information and the NBC broadcast schedules.  Here’s a link  that will follow the events for the two weeks of broadcast.

                                                                  Photo by iShot

Whistler Village at Night by whistlergal78

But besides being a mecca for winter sport fans, Vancouver is touted as a world-class city and offers a range of amenities, cultural festivals, activities and must see sights. This link will show a wonderful overview of Vancouver with photos, places to go and things to do.  Also, are recommendations for shopping, accommodations and wonderful eateries and cafes.  Whistler, with a six month season, attracts skiers and snowboarders from all over the world. Whistler Blackcomb, world-class and host resort for the 2010 Games, offers outdoor activities all year long for adults and kids and people of all skill levels.

It looks like Vancouver is going to turn out to be an awesome choice for the Olympic game goers and tourists alike.  Let the games begin!

                                                                            Photo by Craig Murphy

We are in the middle of winter and the Olympics are going to be in Canada this year – brrrrr. With many people headed up North to watch their favorite winter sports, talking about how to dress to stay warm seems like a good idea.

It is much different to run in and out of a car to a building in the cold than it is to stand out in it for hours at a time. Not just a comfort issue, but a safety one as well.

The one word to best describes how to protect ourselves is LAYERS.

Here are some suggestions of how to dress in the cold to stay warm.

In general, as we go over specific layers, keep the clothing loose to allow for free circulation and to help with the insulation by allowing warm air pockets to be trapped. Don’t neglect any area of the body. Often people do the right thing from the chest up but don’t worry as much as what is worn below the waist. When you think of if, there is more skin area on the lower half of the body overall.

The advantage of layering is obvious. You can add or remove as you go according to conditions. For those like me who live in a tropical climate and do not even own a winter coat, dressing for the cold is going to take some planning

The first layer should be a fabric that will wick perspiration. Cotton is not it. Silk or synthetic thermals will make a great first layer – tops and bottoms.

Next would be a light weight wool shirt and pants. For those who don’t like wool a densely knitted microfiber fleece would be a good option. Gore-Tex, Teflon or a nylon shell pant is another good option. Cotton jeans are not a good choice. They don’t keep out wet and they don’t block wind.

Thirdly, comes a lightweight button down shirt or jacket that can be easily removed.

The outer layer for extreme cold would be a heavier down filled coat that goes down past the hips and preferably with a hood.

The next areas of concern are the head, neck, hands and feet. When it is extremely cold, blood moves away from these areas to protect the vital organs leaving these areas basically unprotected and that would be when fingers and toes could succumb to frostbite.

Hopefully, your coat or a layer under it will have a hood. Top that with a warm hat that can be pulled down and to that add a warm, close knit scarf to wrap around your neck, mouth and nose.

Hands can be difficult. While mittens are best, they often restrict using the fingers. Insulated hand coverings are good. It was recommended to look in a sporting shop for mitts that had one or two fingers like hunters use.

And finally the feet. Think two pairs of socks. The first pair might be a lightweight airwicking choice – again not cotton. The outer one should be wool. If they can go up the calf all the better. Make sure you have plenty of wiggle room for circulation. Top these with water proof, over the calf boots that have a soft, warm lining. Having a thick sole will add more protection to the bottoms of your feet that likely will be tramping around on ice and snow.

If all this fails to keep you warm try doing a couple of minutes of jumping around and then head to the lodge for a warm fire and some hot cocoa.

                                                                                 Photo from here

Many people get caught up in the excitement of going on a trip by going out to the nearest resort boutique and buying a new, fancy wardrobe to travel in style. I do understand how good it makes me feel to don a new outfit or to get a new hairdo, but it really isn’t necessary to get all new finery just because you are going on a trip. Not only will it help to cut unnecessary costs but it will be less worrisome to just wear your comfy favorite clothes, shoes, suitcases, etc. You won’t feel as bad if anything gets lost or ruined and you might even have a little extra left over for a souvenir.

It would be a good bet to leave expensive jewelry at home too. Things could easily get lost or stolen. The same goes for pricey cameras. Unless you are a professional, why drag around an expensive or cumbersome camera, lens, tripod etc, when a little digital will do the job for you. Some people I know just buy some really pretty post cards to remember the places they have been.

The main thing is to relax, and have a fun, worry free vacation.