East Hampton Escape

Windmilll in East Hampton

We had a fabulous weekend escape to East Hampton! It was my first time visiting the area during the off-season (and I haven't been to the Hamptons in many years.) But we're now official fans...

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Off to St. Lucia

We're headed to St. Lucia! Yay for babymoons and family vacations! Over the past week, I've been devouring everything and anything island-related. Restaurant recommendations, adventurous excursions, all things culture and craft. I'm beyond excited! I downloaded a bunch of books onto my Kindle, packed light, and charged all my camera equipment, so I'm ready to enjoy a week of fun in the sun! For the first time in awhile, I'm actually not bringing my laptop with me on a trip. We'll be staying at two different resorts, one in Castries and the other in Soufriere, and I'll be sure to share all about them when we return.
Stay tuned for some exciting writing news & travel stories... Have a fabulous week! xo

On the Calendar: St. Lucia

We booked our fall vacation, and we leave in less than a month! (Here's where we went last year). We're going to a spot that's been on my bucket list for quite some time now – St. Lucia – and I am thrilled. Things on the agenda include therapeutic mud baths, a tram ride through the rainforest canopy, a whale/dolphin watching tour, sailboating and light snorkeling. And relaxing and bonding of course! Can't wait to share about our adventures – which you may even get to see on HD video on a computer screen near you ;)

Have you been to St. Lucia?

Would love to hear your activity, food and hotel reviews below!

{photo: a view from one of the resorts we'll be staying at on the island}

UPDATE: Yes, this is our Babymoon! And all travel and activities have been doctor-approved :)

Swiss Alps Outings

My husband and I spent a few days in the Swiss Alps during our vacation... We visited the lovely mountain towns of Interlaken, Zermatt and Gornergrat, and had the chance to photograph the famous 14,700-foot Matterhorn. Next time we go, I want to climb that thing! :)

The Hills are Alive.....

Our favorite place from this recent European adventure was Salzburg, Austria – a magical city with a mountaintop castle, historic cathedrals and winding cobblestone alleyways.....

But you might be most familiar with Salzburg as the backdrop for the Sound of Music. So perhaps you can understand my excitement when we went on a 4-hour movie tour that highlighted scenes from the film!

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Daydreaming of Alaska

This week, I've been doing a lot of writing on this fascinating topic in Alaska, so my mind has been in the last frontier since Tuesday.

Alaska is the one state in America that I have never been been to. Our good friends went there for a vacation in 2006. They bundled up in parkas, went on hikes, observed wild moose and slept in rustic cabins. They even drank martinis in glasses made from solid ice. I think I'd want to dine on fresh-caught wild salmon and photograph snowy owls. Oh, and go dog sledding, of course.

Alaska seems like such a raw, wild, beautiful state to explore....

{photo credit: Noel Zia Lee}

 

{photo credit: alaskan dude}

{photo credit: alaskan dude}

 

{photo credit: carl chapman}

  

{photo credit: alan vernon}

{photo credit: alaskan dude}

 

{photo credit: len@loblolly}

{photo credit: alaskan dude}

Plan your trip to Alaska.

Discover local events.

Learn about the weather conditions.

Get answers to frequently asked questions.

See more photos of Alaska.

* © passport in my pocket *

Road Trip

 

photo credit: coco rina

This recent post got me thinking about my upcoming trip to visit family in south Florida. So, there's been a change of plans..... Instead of flying, I'm packing my car and hitting the road. I'm blessed to have a supportive husband and telecommuting job, so in the middle of March I'll be leaving New Jersey and traveling throughout America's beautiful east coast for about four or five weeks. I'm going to take this opportunity to visit some close friends and family, clear my head and chase nice weather.

In my tentative road trip plans? First and foremost, spending about two weeks of quality time with my parents. Then, sometime along my drive, exploring the towns of Myrtle Beach, Charleston, Asheville, Chattanooga, Wilmington, Richmond, Atlanta, Augusta, Orlando, Washington D.C., Baltimore and Nashville. I'm so excited to revisit some of my favorite spots and discovering new ones on the way. I love to drive, and I'm in the midst of making my road trip mixes & uploading new NPR shows to my iPod.

What are your favorite music/radio shows to listen to in the car? 

On the G.S. Parkway, I'll be blaring this song.

 

photo credit: faramarz

Maybe I should see some of the Architecture Unusual sites, like Hope Chella put on her blog!

Want a postcard from the road?  

Drop a comment below with some road trip faves, and I'll contact random blog visitors for your address! Expect quirky little postcards from cities that I visit on my drive. And who doesn't love receiving snail mail?

Want to win a giveaway?

I'll be picking up special things from antique shops, boutiques and visitor centers on my road trip, so expect some exciting giveways during March and April! Think along the lines of luggage tags, stationary, vintage jewelry, handmade crafts and state-related oddities!

Become a follower, drop a comment on my blog, and winners will be chosen at random. Stay tuned for giveaway posts, and good luck!

So – if you've got advice on the tastiest restaurants, cutest bed & breakfasts, must-see sites, coolest bars and sweetest boutiques in any of these cities, drop a comment below! Would love to hear your thoughts. 

* © passport in my pocket *

Trips that Cultivate a New Perspective

Travel & Leisure recently posted an article entitled 15 Life-Changing Trips. It got me to thinking about the places I've been, experiences I've had, people I've met and things I've learned. There are a few trips I would call personally "life changing"..... One being a five-day road trip that Bobby and I took along the California coast from San Francisco to San Diego.... a few pictures, below.

 

  

 

My friends and family know how much I love volunteering, and I've always wanted to tie together both helping the community and seeing the world with a transformative VolunTourism trip. My brother has gone to India a few times, volunteering at Mother Teresa's organization called "Sisters of Charity," and I would love to join him in 2011 if I can swing it. And my little sister and I have talked about spending a weekend helping out in New Orleans. So, a personal goal of mine is to make a volunteering vacation happen in the near future, and I suspect this will be a "life-changing trip."

What are some of your life-changing trips?

Check out the T & L article for some vacation-planning inspiration.

* © passport in my pocket *

Daydreaming of Sedona

With Valentine's Day approaching, I've been daydreaming of Sedona, Arizona. My husband and I used to live in Tucson. For anniversaries and special holidays, we always drove up to Sedona to camp and hike for 2-4 days. Sedona is one of my favorite places in the United States – the fresh air, charming town, red rock mountains, vibrant greenery, energizing trails – I wish we were pitching a tent at Manzanita right now, starting a campfire and listening to the trickling water of Oak Creek Canyon.

 

Snoopy Rock... can you spot why?

 

photo credit

Cathedral Rock....

 

photo credit: flickr

With my nieces in Sedona, below...

Rock formations on a Vortex hike...

photo credit: fickr

Plan a visit to Sedona here.

* © passport in my pocket *

The hills are alive...

I can't stop fantasizing about our upcoming Europe trip. I am obsessively googling towns, images & links (when I should be more concerned with bringing in the bacon for vacay).

Okay, we haven't even bought tickets and/or finalized when we're going but. WE. ARE. GOING!!!! I can barely contain my excitement. I haven't been to Europe since 2001 when I studied abroad in Spain and did some traveling. Bobby has never been over the big pond, so it's going to be a really exciting vacation for both of us. 

If anyone has tips, ideas & favorite spots, please let me know.... We're planning on a two-to-three week jaunt through Switzerland, Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Netherlands & possibly Hungary.  

Images that have me drooling...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

photo credits: Flickr Creative Commons

Sigh...

* © passport in my pocket *