Photo Friday: Japanese Tea Garden in San Francisco

We went to this Japanese Tea Garden on a tour of San Francisco and were just amazed at this hidden treasure in the middle of a big city.

Japanese Garden Small

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Girlfriends Getaway to the Emerald City

Hyatt at Olive 8. Photo courtesy of the Hyatt.

Hyatt at Olive 8. Photo courtesy of the Hyatt.

Seattle truly lives up to its nickname; surrounded by acres of dark green forests and the clear, bright green water of Puget Sound on the West and Lake Washington on the East which sprawl on both sides of the isthmus where the city is located, from the air it’s a green paradise.

Staying Green in Seattle

But Seattle is also green in its awareness of the importance of coexisting with the environment and the city is the perfect place for a healthy girlfriends getaway. With hundreds of wonderful hotels in this city of over half a million people, it’s difficult to choose the perfect place to stay but when you consider that the Hyatt at Olive 8 was the first LEED certified hotel in Seattle, the choice becomes easier. LEED stand for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and the Hyatt at Olive 8 is in the forefront of this design movement. With everything from a green, growing grass roof to switches in the rooms which turn the electricity off and on by plugging your room key, the hotel is truly making an effort to keep our world environmentally healthy.

Read the rest of this article on girlsgetaway.com HERE.

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Family Getaway to Laketown Wharf Resort, Panama City Beach

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The first time we trekked up to our apartment at the quite fabulous Laketown Wharf Resort in Panama City Beach, we all three hugged the wall all the way there. My daughter, my seven year old grandson, and me.

All plastered to the wall.

You see, we were on the 21st floor of the resort. And all the apartments at the Laketown Wharf Resort have front doors that open out to an open air walkway.

Which looks down 21 floors to the expansive lake.

It can be slightly disconcerting at first but we soon adjusted to our home in the clouds and sauntered up there without even gripping the wall from then on.

View from the 21st floor of the lake.

View from the 21st floor of the lake.

A view of the resort from the lake side. Photo courtesy of Laketown Wharf Resort.

A view of the resort from the lake side. Photo courtesy of Laketown Wharf Resort.

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Photo Friday: Glass Ball Sculptures in Forest Park

We had no idea such a huge park existed in St. Louis. What a gorgeous place! Tom got a photo of these incredible glass sculptures.

Glass Ball Sculptures

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Baby, It’s Cold Outside:A Girlfriend Getaway to the Windy City

DSC_2092 - 2013-02-21 at 12-34-48You have two choices for the time of year to visit Chicago. Although there are technically four seasons there, as in most of the United States, the most well-known are the icy cold winters and the pleasant mild summers. Guess which one I prefer?

Although I have to say Chicago in the winter has some advantages. As it is bitingly cold, it’s not a prime tourist destination so you can get some great bargains on accommodations and you probably won’t have to wait in quite as many lines for the popular venues.

Winter Fun In Chicago

Bundle up with plenty of layers and enjoy the amazing view of Lake Michigan covered with ice and snow, stretching as far as you can see to the horizon. Once you have sufficiently frozen yourself, head for the Museum Campus which is perched right on the shore of the lake and will keep you delightfully entertained for days at a time. The Shedd Aquarium is one of the best in the world and has plenty of exhibits, shows and even a 4-D movie theatre where puffs of air and shaking seats immerse you completely in the experience. Don’t miss the dolphin show in the large auditorium as it’s pretty incredible.

Read the rest of this article on Girlsgetaway.com HERE.

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Family Getaway to the Bay Point Wyndham Resort

technicalVillaHosted Accommodations

 

 

In spite of the fact that a frog gave me my exercise before bed at the Bay Point Wyndham Resort in Panama City Beach, I am still a huge fan of this place. I actually stayed here last year on a girlfriends getaway and adored everything about the property from the friendly and courteous employees to the absolutely fabulous pools to the fact that they offer a free shuttle out to Shell Island.

Last year, we stayed in two adjoining lanai rooms and I could have happily spent days at a time lounging on that lanai overlooking a lovely, sparkling pool and the idyllic bay with the ceiling fan lazily turning. Aaaahhh.

While I was there, I had a tour of the property, noticed that they had these great one and two bedroom villas overlooking the golf course and tucked that information away for future reference. After my daughter and I decided to take a beach vacation with our seven year old grandson who, when I mentioned I had been to the beach with some friends turned to me and said in a horrified voice “You went without me”!, I realized the villas would work great.

Obviously, I had to get that boy back to the beach.

The resort kindly offered up a two bedroom villa for our getaway and we hit the road for Panama City Beach.

I truly can’t say enough wonderful things about this resort.

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Photo Friday: Downtown Juneau

When we went on our Alaska cruise a few years ago, we were amazed at how remote Juneau really is and how difficult it is to get there. Tom got this shot in the downtown area with towering mountains in the background.

Downtown Juneau Small

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One Night with a Barking Tree Frog

frogI lay in bed with the covers pulled up, just about to burst with fury. Someone had the nerve to walk their tiny, yippy dog this late at night, right outside the door of my room at the resort. How annoying!

Up to this point, we had been in love with our fabulous two bedroom villa at the Bay Point Wyndham Resort. With two bedrooms, a nice living room, and a kitchenette, it was the perfect place for me, my grown daughter, and my seven year old grandson. We loved everything about the resort; the gorgeous pools, the free ferry to beautiful Shell Island, the great food in the restaurants, the lovely grounds.

But now.

My sleep was being disrupted by another incredibly rude guest. Because my bedroom could be closed off to make the living room and the other bedroom into a one bedroom suite, my bedroom had a door to the outside where, apparently, the most annoying yippy dog in the universe was hanging out.

I finally had enough. I threw back the covers, ready to give the dog owner a piece of my mind or at the very least a nasty glare.

Probably the latter.

I strode to the door and threw it open only to see.

Nothing.

There was nobody there. Nothing going on except the gentle rain which had caused a small pond to develop on the lawn near our villa.

Suddenly something very tiny and very green flew past my leg and into my room. I turned and there it was. A tiny, wee frog clinging to the wall beside the door. What the…where was the dog?

Then that tiny, miniscule frog gave out a yip. And I realized what I had been hearing all this time. It was him!

Lest you think I am exaggerating how loud this yip was.

Here. Check this out.

Now I’m not going to say I was afraid of that little guy but I certainly didn’t like the idea that he might jump on my face in the middle of the night because eeeewwwww.

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Omni La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, California

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It might have been the huge tub in our room. Because I am a fan of the huge tub, pretty much anytime.

Or the fact that when we had a slight problem with noise in our first room, the staff cheerfully moved us to another room that was equally nice. I always appreciate that.

Or it might have been the incomparably beautiful grounds. Or possibly it was the fact that we were finally seeing a beautiful blue sky and sun for the first time in days after experiencing the June Gloom of Carlsbad.

Maybe it was a combination of all those things because, whatever it was, we absolutely adored our stay at our last stop on our visit to Carlsbad – Omni La Costa Resort and Spa.

My favorite place.

My favorite place.

We had a signature La Costa room which I loved because we had French doors out onto a tiny but lovely patio…

Photo courtesy of the Omni La Costa Resort.

Photo courtesy of the Omni La Costa Resort.

 which gave us a perfectly marvelous view of the grounds and all the gorgeous flowers everywhere.

Our lovely patio.

Our lovely patio.

 

Beautiful, relaxing view from our patio.

Beautiful, relaxing view from our patio.

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Photo Friday: Sea Anemone at Shedd Aquarium

We enjoyed our visit to the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago and were amazed at the incredible diversity, colors, and shapes of the marine life at the aquarium. Tom got this shot of a sea anemone and starfish.

Anemone at Shedd Aquarium Small

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