August 28, 2010 | Disclosure, Fuzzies, Gadgets & Stuff

Willow Picnic Basket - One of the Best Gifts I've Received

One of the coolest gifts I’ve ever received was a picnic basket and I say it’s one of the best gifts because it embodies the traditional road tripping traveler. (Thank you Mom & Dad!) Who doesn’t like stopping during a long journey to take a break and enjoy your favorite road tripping foods? Everyone doesn’t have a budget to stop at every fab little hometown eats and it’s very tempting to make a stop at the Golden Arches. Bringing along your snacks and meals on a road trip is usually good on the budget, body and soul. My favorite road tripping food is dates stuffed with goat cheese. Yum! (more…)

July 11, 2010 | Disclosure

Myrtle Beach Golf Course

Myrtle Beach as a vacation destination has popped up on my radar quite frequently, why is that? Direct Air began offering service from the this South Carolina destination to my hometown airport (PGD) almost two years ago (it’s since been suspended), I’ve been meeting people from Myrtle Beach and those who have vacationed there, and I’m seeing more advertising. Hmm. Is Myrtle Beach the new “IT” vacation destination? (more…)

July 6, 2010 | Disclosure

Find Breckenridge Lodging Deals

My friend LB returned from her Breckenridge vacation raving about the destination and her enthusiasm rubbed off on me. Coincidentally, my new friends with Breckenridge Resort Managers have asked me to take a look at their site and share my findings in exchange for supporting my traveling habit. Since I’m always about getting the most bang for my buck, before planning a trip, check out these Breckenridge lodging deals to find affordable accommodations. (more…)

July 4, 2010 | Disclosure

Darwin Harbor Sunset- Northern Territory, Australia

Having no desire to take a cruise, over the years I have been slowly warming to the idea especially since I haven’t met anyone who has had a bad experience. My friends at P&O Cruises, the leading cruise line for Australia and New Zealand, have asked me to share information about the company and the cruise holiday packages in exchange for supporting my traveling habit. (more…)

June 24, 2010 | Disclosure, Fuzzies, Gadgets & Stuff, Solo Adventures

TBEX ‘10 (Travel Blog Exchange) is this weekend in New York and I’m heading out in the morning. My killer cats are guarding my pad so don’t get any ideas about stealing my Duran Duran LP collection.

I suspect there will be some late nights meaning not much sleep so I’m glad I’ll be taking along Naturopathica’s Vitamin K Brightening Eye Serum to relieve travel-tired eyes. I’m putting it to the test and believe me, I need some eye relief.

I’ll be blogging and tweeting from the road so stay tuned!

FTC Disclosure: Naturopathica sent me sample of their eye serum to test and the opinions about the product are my own.

June 10, 2010 | Disclosure, Nature Travel

A destination offering national parks with miles of hiking, a rain forest and a natural boiling lake is my kind of getaway and a vacation in Dominica fits the bill. Honestly, I had no idea I could find something like this in the Caribbean. My friends from the Commonwealth of Dominica, “The Nature Island,” have asked me to share some of the vacation treasures this eastern Caribbean island has to offer. (more…)

June 9, 2010 | Disclosure, Travel News

Michelin Man at BlogHer 2009, Chicago

I love solo road trips and the thought of breaking down on the highway causes some concern even though I’m a card-carrying AAA member and now have OnStar. Inspecting a car prior to a trip is a must and although I passed driver’s ed back in high school, I’m not very savvy when it comes to car maintenance.

In recognition of National Tire Safety Week, which kicked off June 6, my friends at Michelin are offering these useful tire safety tips which can be exercised throughout the year. (more…)

June 1, 2010 | Disclosure, Solo Adventures

Big Ben in London

TBEX ’10 is less than a month away (June 26 & 27 in New York City) and Contex, a company which offers walking tours in various cities across the globe, is inviting attendees to participate on a tour of a specific area of the city. I’m hoping to be one of the lucky ones because after checking out their website and learning more about the company, it’s definitely my kind of tour.

Tours, or I should say “seminars,” are intimate (group tours accommodate up to six people; private tours are available, too) and led by specialists with interests in specific activities as archaeology, cuisine and environmental science. From what I understand these tours/seminars are a participatory experience and focus on specific topics. These tours are not for travelers who want to be talked at but for those who want to interact, ask questions and learn.

Outside Tower of London on a Cold and Rainy Night, Feb. 2005

As I browsed the Context website I noticed they offer walking tours of London which reminded me of one of my last trips to the U.K. which included a tour of the Tower of London on a very cold and wet English evening (notice the photo, I’m smiling through chattering teeth). It was extremely cool being in the hub of history but there were too many people on the tour making it difficult to hear. At the time I was in my shy phase and intimidated to ask a question. A very brief visit to the British Museum was included during that trip and suspect if I would have participated on one of Context’s London walking tours, my experience would have been enriched with a better appreciation of what I was seeing.

I Love Posing with Statues! London, Feb. 2005

I’m hoping a Contex New York City walking seminar is in my upcoming travel itinerary. Better yet, I hope one across the Pond is in my future. My last two international trips have been canceled and I’m due an international flight. Hmm…stay tuned.

FTC Disclosure:  Thank you to Context for supporting my traveling habit.

May 23, 2010 | Solo Adventures, Solo with Others

Angel Headstone in New Orleans Cemetery

A few weeks ago I received an email from a reader stating she is interested in paranormal places to visit. I’m not an expert on the topic but do enjoy a good ghost story or two. Following is a short list of places, primarily in Florida, where I have participated on a ghost tour or did something related to the paranormal world. Hyperlinks either provide a review or my personal experience along with additional information on the particular destination and/or business. (more…)

May 20, 2010 | Disclosure, Fuzzies, Gadgets & Stuff

Support Tampa Bay's 2018/2022 FIFA World Cup Bid

Let’s go, Tampa Bay! The Gulf coast Florida destination is a finalist to host the 2018/2022 FIFA World Cup. Although I admit my knowledge of soccer doesn’t extend beyond my one year in little league, Pele, David Beckham, and knowing what Manchester United is, if Tampa Bay lands the World Cup, it’s a very big deal. The economic impact for my region of Florida would be significant as well as that for the United States. Los Angeles hosted the 1994 World Cup which generated $623 million for the metro area – that’s a lot of money!

Why Tampa Bay for the World Cup?
Tampa Bay is an ideal location to host the World Cup with its mild weather, abundance and selection of accommodations and dining, fantastic airport (Tampa International Airport– TIA) and a sports-minded community supporting professional teams Tampa Bay Rays, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Sign this petition to support Tampa Bay’s 2018/2022 World Cup bid.

Support Tampa Bay's 2018/2022 FIFA World Cup Bid

Look Humorously Fashionable During the World Cup
If you’re one of the lucky ones attending this year’s World Cup in South Africa (I personally know of at least one person), get your funny on with one of these soccer tshirts available through my friends at Cafepress.

Funny Soccer TShirt on CafePress.com

I sincerely love the variety of Cafepress funny tshirts and have no idea who the comedic people are behind the humorous quips. Well, guess I probably do, they’re everyday people like you and me who have a great quote or concept and use this platform to share it with the masses. I have a few of my own phrases I would love to sell and perhaps by the end of this year, I’ll actually do it rather than talking about it. And who knows, if Tampa Bay wins the 2018/2022 World Cup bid, perhaps they’ll be selling similar soccer tshirts on their site.

FTC Disclosure: Thank you to Cafepress.com for supporting my traveling habit!