A beautiful day in Door County and these sea gulls perched in just the right spot for a perfect shot. Tom gets most of our photos but I snapped this one!
Dock in Door County, Wisconsin
A Weekend on the Emerald Coast
One of the most fabulous things in the entire world is traveling by yourself.
One of the most terrifying things in the world is traveling by yourself.
My feelings at this moment are veering towards the former but I’ll let you know.
Tomorrow I will be jetting to the coast. The Emerald Coast. One of my favorite places in the whole world. And could I be any more cool than to say I am jetting to the coast?
I don’t think so.
I was offered this press trip for a girls getaway and I actually hesitated even though it’s going to be completely marvelous in every way because well. We are going to be in Destin again in about a month. So it seems a little silly to head there when I will be there in about a month but how can I pass up an opportunity to visit the beach yet again?
Well.
Could you?
The beach at Destin.
I cannot.
So off I jet.
I was trying to think of the last time I have traveled alone and it was five years ago. Five years ago when I first started travel writing, I was offered a press trip to Cancun. I fairly leaped at the chance to actually begin my travel writing career but I was a little nervous at the fact that I would be traveling alone to a foreign country for the first time in…well. Ever.
It was a great trip. In every single way. Including the fact that I was all by myself and did not have to worry about keeping anyone happy but me. Just me. How awesome is that?
Pretty freakin’ awesome.
So off I head. What are we doing, you ask? Glad you asked.
First let me tell you my favorite things in the world. Eating great food, especially seafood. Having lovely spa treatments. Shopping. Amazing accommodations. Wonderful activities.
Yep. We are doing all of those.
Great food at places like The Black Pearl and Cuvee Bistro the Asiago Skillet all of which are making my mouth water as I type.
A spa treatment at the Emerald Grande which includes a facial and can I just say that I have recently discovered facials and OMG I can’t believe I went all this time without a facial. So, yeah. Excited about that.
Shopping. You all. I have been shopping in Destin so many times and I can’t believe I did not know that Destin Commons existed. And they have so many stores. Belk? My favorite place in all of the world. Charming Charlie? Best jewelry selection ever. Chico’s? Yep. Fabulous. And that’s only A-C. Just imagine what the rest of the alphabet holds.
Accommodations? Yes, yes, yes. Just found out I will be in a condo called Azure that sounds wonderful.
And all of those completely amazing things pale in comparison to the fact that I will be visiting the Gulfarium and can I just tell you about my history with the Gulfarium? The Gulfarium has been open since 1955. Since 1953 when I was born, we visited the gulf coast pretty much every summer. My grandmother lived in Pensacola, my mom was born in Pensacola, and the gulf was our home away from home and the only place I really remember from my childhood. We moved around a lot as my dad was in the Marine Corps but the smell, the feel, the look of that snow white sand is home to me.
Why yes, that baby is me. A lot of years ago.
So I have been to the Gulfarium as a child. I have taken my children to the Gulfarium. And a couple of years ago, I took my grandson to the Gulfarium. So I am all about visiting the Gulfarium yet again.
So.
Great food, spa treatments, shopping, amazing accommodations, and wonderful activities. Could I ask for any more?
I didn’t think so.
I’ll be writing about this phenomenal weekend very soon.
Just as soon as I recover from the fabulousness.
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The Five W’s of a Perfect Beach Vacation
I’m writing this article in a luxurious, seven bedroom beach house in Gulf Shores, Alabama courtesy of Relax on the Beach called Grand Paradise. It is so close to the Gulf of Mexico that we can step out our back door and, with approximately ten steps, have our feet in the white sand. It is so huge and elegant with its myriad bedrooms and bathrooms and flat screen televisions and fully equipped kitchen that we could live here forever. The two of us are rattling around in this huge house, never even using the expansive upstairs, thinking about how most of our extended family could fit in this house and how all the kid cousins would love the bunk bed room with their own television in the loft.
But we don’t have to stay in a gorgeous, seven bedroom luxury beach house to enjoy the beach. Our son and daughter-in-law are actually across the street the beach and from us in the same neighborhood for the week in a charming, sunny yellow beach house aptly named Sunshine. It’s not right on the water and it’s much smaller but it’s cozy and homey and quite, quite lovely.
We have stayed in fabulous, sprawling, luxury hotels in Hawaii and Mexico — hotels that were mere steps from an incredible beach and offered amenities that would boggle your mind. We have stayed in condos near the beach in Hilton Head and Isle of Palms and Destin. Then we’ve stayed in places like these wonderful beach houses. We enjoyed all those vacations equally. There is a beach vacation out there for everyone. And everyone needs a beach vacation. The sun, the sand, the smell of the air, the taste of fresh seafood just pulled out of the water, kids building sandcastles – yes, everyone needs a beach vacation.
Read the rest of this article on Travel Generation HERE.
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Family Friendly Little Sister Resort in Door County, Wisconsin
You would never know the Little Sister Resort is there if not for the sign and your trusty GPS. Tucked away in the woods bordering Little Sister Bay and hidden from the road, this charming little family friendly location was the perfect place for us during a summer visit to Door County, Wisconsin.
After checking in at the office area which doubles as the dining room for the full, hot breakfast that is included with your rate for every member of your family (what a great amenity!), we drove a few yards back to our chalet which was perched on a hill overlooking the water.
Driveway to our chalet.
Little Sister has dozens of different chalets, cabins, and homes with varying configurations and number of bedrooms, many of which overlook the water.
One of the cabins on the grounds.
And another pretty cabin.
Photo Friday:Traverse City Old Mission Lighthouse
We loved our visit to Traverse City when we were in Michigan last winter. One of the best things we did was a tour of the area which included the Old Mission Lighthouse. A lighthouse is one of Tom’s very favorite things and he got a great photo of it.
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Getaway to the Gervasi Vineyard
You may think you have taken a wrong turn trying to find the Gervasi Vineyard because it’s hidden away in an unlikely urban neighborhood in Canton, Ohio. But the sprawling 55-acre estate which includes 5 acres of vineyards producing a variety of grapes, two restaurants, an outdoor pavilion for weddings and other events, a cozy shop, an event center, and 24 guest suites housed in some amazing, Tuscan-influenced villas is behind those elaborate gates. The Tuscan influence indicated by the name is felt throughout the property in every little detail.
Gervasi offers very popular culinary classes at The Cucina, in the Villa Grande. With a large, professional, working kitchen and a dining area to enjoy what you prepare, there are classes on the cuisines of a number of countries. Wine appreciation, demystifying wine tasting, wine and food pairings, or looks at wine vintages of Italy or France, are also taught in the tasting room at The Crush House, where you can take a tour of the amazing state-of-the-art winery facilities.
Read the rest of this article on Ky Doc Magazine HERE.
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Categories: Accommodations, Bed and Breakfasts, Cities, Countries, Ohio, United States
Tags: Canton Accommodations, Canton Bed and Breakfast, Gervasi Vineyard, Jan Ross travel blog, Jan Ross travel writer, Ohio Bed and Breakfasts, Ohio Vineyards, Tom Ross Photographer, Tom Ross Travel Photographer
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The Coastal Arts Center of Orange Beach
The glass blower carefully placed the stick with the hot glob of glass perched on the end into the blazing oven and twirled it carefully, carefully trying to get it to just the right size, consistency, and temperature. Those of us watching, including two small blonde little girls, waited quietly to see what would emerge from the oven.
We were all in a small audience seated on wooden benches in the open air Hot Shop of the Coastal Arts Center in Orange Beach where glass blowers not only create amazing works of art but cheerfully demonstrate their amazing abilities to anyone who would like to watch.
I was at the Coastal Arts Center for the morning to check out this interesting place. Located right on Wolf Bay which provides an amazingly scenic venue, the Center is actually located in what was the city’s first hotel. Built in 1923, the hotel featured 11 bedrooms and one half bath upstairs (imagine sharing that bathroom!) while the family that owned the hotel lived downstairs. With no roads in the area, guests accessed the charming hotel via boat on the canal. In the late 1940’s, Canal Road was completed and provided easier access.
The hotel was taken over by the Friends of the Arts nonprofit group and became an Orange Beach city facility in 2013. The city still works with the Friends of the Arts to make the center an interesting place for patrons of the arts. “The Mission of the Coastal Arts Center of Orange Beach is to enrich the experience of our community and the experience of our visitors through educational and interactive experiences and the exhibition of fine arts. The Center cherishes its place in the rich history of our region while bringing new and innovative ideas in the arts all in a warm and welcoming environment.”
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Categories: Alabama, Beach, Cities, Countries, Gulf Shores, United States
Tags: Coastal Arts Center, Coastal Arts Center Gulf Shores, Coastal Arts Center Orange Beach, Jan Ross travel blog, Jan Ross travel writer, Things to do in Gulf Shores, Things to do in Orange Beach, Tom Ross Photographer, Tom Ross Travel Photographer
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Top Ten Amenities for the Perfect Hotel Stay
We stay in a lot of hotels, see a lot of different and wonderful amenities, and spend a lot of time wondering just how great it would be if all those amenities were offered in one hotel room. We might never leave. Here’s our list of amenities that would make a stay absolutely perfect – can you add one?
1. Free, fast wi-fi
Just how annoying is it when you have paid a great deal of money for a completely fabulous, luxurious hotel room in a wonderful location, only to find that you have to pay for your Internet connection? Pretty annoying. Since a huge portion of the population now wants to access the Internet when traveling, this is simply a huge and ridiculous inconvenience for guests and will actually make us reconsider a stay at a certain hotel.
Read the rest of this article on Travel Generation HERE.
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The Chattanoogan Hotel
There were a great number of things we liked about the Chattanoogan Hotel in Chattanooga, TN. The beautiful lobby, the sunning terrace, our comfy room. But by far our favorite thing was the amazing meal we had at The Broad Street Grille, one of the restaurants in the hotel. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water.
But let me back up.
We had just spent a week at the Gulf coast and were heading back home but we like to break up our road trips and take leisurely drives, especially if it means we can visit an interesting location to write about. I looked at a map of our route, noticed Chattanooga was situated just right, and we ended up at the Chattanoogan Hotel. Just long enough for us to realize that we need to make a return trip to Chattanooga because it looks absolutely charming and all we had time for was a drive through on our way home.
The hotel is beautiful as we noticed when we drove past the street entrance to I guess what is technically the main entrance in a shaded area in the back.
Pretty front entrance.
Even prettier back entrance.
An Eco Boat Tour with Taking Off Hot Air Balloon Company and Boat Tours
The boat slipped away from the dock into the muddy water of the creek silently, with only the sound of warbling birds and chirping insects to accompany the start of a coastal ecology tour with Taking Off Hot Air Balloon Company and Boat Tours.
Although this company offers hot air balloon tours of the Gulf coast, we were here for one of their boat tours; specifically the 2-hour tour of the Magnolia River, Fish River, Weeks Bay and part of Mobile Bay.
From the website: You will see some magnificent homes from the water that you would never get to see otherwise. You will also see the mail boxes on everyone’s piers. We are one of the last places in America to receive year-round mail by boat. Magnolia River is one of the most beautiful in the state and is only the 5th in the state to be designated an “Outstanding Alabama Water”, the states highest environmental designation. The town is so proud to have one of our most important natural resources protected. The river is very important to the whole community. We can pick you up at several locations including Big Daddy’s or Jesse’s. Plan your trip so that you can have lunch before or after your cruise!
We opted to meet our tour guide at their private dock and were a little taken aback when we arrived at the address to find a church, day care center, and absolutely no sign of any water, dock, or any sort of boat. Luckily, someone finally appeared and opened a gate to what looked like a farmer’s field but ended up leading us back a country lane to what indeed turned out to be a dock and body of water. We boarded, plunked ourselves down onto some pretty comfy bean bags, and set out on our adventure.
Heading out on our adventure.
Pulling away from the dock.
Heading up the creek.
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