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On Veterans Day, we decided to check out Washington Park’s Oregon Vietnam Veterans Living Memorial. Located between the Zoo and the Arboretum Visitor’s Center, we’ve passed it many times but, until yesterday, never took the time to stop. Erected in the Hoyt Arboretum section of the park, in 1987, the Memorial covers 8 acres designed Read more
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A story was recently passed on to me, by a friend with Holland America Lines, about a 106-year-old woman on a 28-day cruise to Alaska and Hawaii. That fact, by itself, is just amazing, but her story is even more incredible. Alice Darrow, a Navy nurse, met her husband, Dean, at Mare Island Navy Hospital in California. Dean was injured Read more
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Driving a Mini in Portland is great in the city but not the best vehicle for exploring when winter arrives. Harsh winds and snow, in the higher elevations, keep us from exploring the many mountain opportunities within a short drive. So, before summer is officially over, we decided to take a field trip to the Read more
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We love the weirdness of Portland, but the weather is crazy weird. Summers are dry and sunny, and temps are usually in the low 80’s with really low humidity. Step into the shade and it feels like a 10 degree drop. But, every once in awhile we get a “heat dome” that drives the temps Read more
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After a five year hiatus, honestly due to laziness, I’ve decided to resurrect my blog, changing the name to Forever Young but Getting Old in Portland. Two years ago, my husband, Charlie, and I sold everything, shipped a few boxes of necessities, and moved cross country from Florida to Portland, Oregon. We’ve never regretted a Read more
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If your travels have not yet taken you to a Kimpton boutique hotel, make this the year you give yourself the gift of the experience. Part of IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group), Kimpton Hotels offer an intimate, uniquely styled lodging encounter, while offering benefits through the IHG Rewards Club. With 70 properties in 43 cities, all Read more
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My latest on hypeorlando is about the fantastic Harriett Lake. Settling into our new (old) neighborhood is bringing back a bunch of memories. The memory narrative I refer to is well worth a read, especially if you’ve lived in the area as long as I have. Read more
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It’s been a busy summer (now almost winter) which has included a move. We’re known for our tendancy not to sit in one place too long…here’s our history of selling and buying houses during our 41 years together. Stayin Alive in Yet Another Home Read more
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After a recent conference in Manchester, NH, Charlie and I explored Rhode Island, staying in Providence. You can read a more wordy version in TravelPulse – this is more of a pictorial. We were hosted by the Omni Providence Hotel, a gorgeous and convenient place to stay within walking distance of everything the city has Read more
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During a recent National Society of Newspaper Columnists conference, I got to meet a lovely couple, ages 90 and 91, with a lovely story. Read more here… More to come on the historical town of Manchester, NH…and Rhode Island…and Boston! Read more
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Further exploring Quantum Leap Winery, Orlando’s (not so well-kept) secret… Forever Young but Growing Old. Our town might be growing in breweries but there is still only one winery in the city. Located on 1312 Wilfred Drive, in the Mills/50 District, it’s not far from the Track Shack. A great place to taste a vast Read more
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Craft beer, independent winery, fried green tomatoes and camellias…Orlando has it all but you have to find them! Check out my latest post in TravelPulse about these hidden treasures. Read more
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Check out my latest on hypeorlando.com about our Moonlight Tour of Greenwood Cemetery Read more
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A couple of weeks ago, Charlie and I were in New York City checking out some alternative lodging options in Brooklyn and Manhattan. Here’s a link to my TravelPulse blog post…enjoy and hoping the holidays are a happy time for all! Read more
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Hard to believe it’s been a year since we closed on the mountain house in North Carolina. Here’s a link to some reflections and advice if you’re considering a vacation home… Read more
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A break in the daily cruise travelogue to praise our fellow writers and photojournalists. Check it out on hypeorlando…8 Global Journalists who take you to foreign lands without leaving home. Read more
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Our next port of call would be Skagway, a small town developed when it was discovered there was gold in them thar hills…or mountains of Canada. We took the White Pass & Yukon Railway up to the Summit, learning of the rich history of the land along the way. The train climbed past expansive Read more
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Taking a break from cruise blogging to write about early Christmas shopping on hypeorlando and a post about the upcoming Fall Farm and Artisans’ Tour in conjunction with local B&Bs on TravelPulse (just click on the links). We’ve been busy, up here in NC, exploring Asheville and the surrounding mountain towns. The temps still remain Read more
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Flying a float plane over the ice fields of Juneau Read more
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An incredible opportunity opened up for Charlie and I to join a press group, cruising Alaska’s waterways with Holland America Lines on the ms Nieuw Amsterdam. The offer was last minute, as in 2 ½ weeks, but the calendar was clear and, luckily, we brought our passports to NC, so we were in. The key Read more
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3 Reasons to visit Asheville this summer Read more
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So sorry I mistakenly sent out a link to a depression blog on this site – I hit the wrong button when meaning to share another’s post via Tweet – wound up on my site – I deleted it but not before email notifications were sent out – my apologies! Read more
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It’s been a little over a month since arriving at the mountain house for the summer. One thing we’ve learned is, next year, we’ll head up this way later in the spring/summer. Although it has been fun seeing the wildflowers of spring, the temps are chilly…just this morning we woke up to low 30’s, brrrr. Read more
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Gotta blow my own horn here, so to speak, with the news that TravelPulse.com has published one of my blog posts and I am in contract with them to write further content. Most will be based in Orlando but I’ll be writing about Asheville this summer, also. First post is about the rise of the Read more
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We finally settled on a home in Wolf Laurel, NC, to spend our summers without the need for a/c. I’ve written about it in a series with the last installment in Forever Young but Growing Old – the Orlando Sentinel’s hypeorlando site. Now we can’t wait til April! Read more
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Check out my blog post at hypeorlando about shopping local. We recently visited Mount Dora and had a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon of lunching and shopping. I hear the weather might break this weekend…should be a fine time to take in a local downtown spot for a start to your holiday shopping! Read more
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So the deal wasn’t done and the papers weren’t signed, lucky for us we had an honest inspector who immediately saw structural issues and did not continue the process. Inspections are pricey in the mountains and he saved us quite a few bucks by not going any further. He said a structural engineer needed to Read more
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On our second house-hunting trip to North Carolina, we chose to stay at a bed and breakfast within the Wolf Laurel community. Our research found several houses in the area and we figured what better way to get a feel for the neighborhood than to spend a few nights in it. Good choice on many Read more
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Source: Tijuana Flats…not just good food but good people Read more
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Recently I was invited to a blogger event at the Tijuana Flats on East Colonial, in Orlando. These events are one of the many perks of writing a blog, especially with hypeorlando (the Orlando Sentinel blog platform). We get to taste-test new menu items and get an insider view of house local restaurants operate. I’m Read more
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Check out my hypeorlando blog post, Forever Young but Growing Old, about Home Exchanges gone wrong…and they all could have been avoided! Read more
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The next leg of our journey put us on the Amtrak Adirondack to Penn Station in Manhattan. What was touted as a 10 hour trip, turned into 12. Check out my blog post on hypeorlando for more details… Read more
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Day 7 – Quebec City Woke up Friday to the spectacular view of Quebec City, with a gorgeous view of the Chateau Frontenac, a monstrous hotel overlooking the St. Lawrence River. It sits atop the Terrasse Dufferin, looking out over the Lower Town. The sidewalk cafes, 17th century architecture and sounds of French being spoken freely, Read more
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A day in Charlottetown Read more
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Day 3 – Halifax Cruising into Nova Scotia, on Holland America‘s Maasdam, we had no clue as to the history of the place. So we chose that rainy Day 2 to spend some time in the Explorations Café Library learning about our destination. A big piece of Halifax’s history lies in a horrific event in Read more
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Recently the National September 11 Memorial Museum in New York City celebrated its first anniversary. On a recent trip to Manhattan we made sure to reserve a day to visit the 911 Museum. It is a pilgrimage that feels like one’s civic duty. We need to be reminded of the pain that was felt that awful Read more
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If anyone out there remembers where we were 20 years ago, here’s a reminder…Celebrating a bittersweet anniversary Read more
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My first New Year’s resolution is to stop neglecting this blog! Coming soon…Big Sur, San Francisco and Christmastime in NYC Meanwhile, I’m redirecting you to hypeorlando and my tribute to Dr. Taylor and his wife, Jane, who both passed away earlier this month…Quack, Quack and Cheerio! Read more
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Follow my blog with Bloglovin Finally, getting to Chapter 2 of our summer trip out West…we left Washington DC before dawn, heading to Portland, Oregon, to meet up with an old grammar and high school classmate, Bob Burgan. Bob and Mary extended an invitation to stay with them a couple of nights at their beach Read more
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Last month’s trip was full of “holy shit!” moments. From beginning to end, the two weeks was chock full of eye-opening events and scenery. Our first leg took us to the 38th Annual National Society of Newspaper Columnists Conference in Washington, DC. It was my fifth year of attending and I wasn’t disappointed. Arriving a Read more
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Getting ready for a big trip in a few weeks, been trying to get into shape. Since moving back to downtown Orlando we have no excuse to lazily while away the summer. Charlie can’t run because of a torn Achilles tendon but our local Y provides a ton of other opportunities to get in a Read more
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Check out my latest Hypeorlando post and see where AARP thinks I should travel. Making sure my passport is up to date! Read more
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A little over a year ago our friends and neighbors, the Smiths, opened a bed and breakfast in New Smyrna Beach overlooking the Indian River. The opening was the result of a multi-year production involving the renovation of a beautiful old home, retaining the ambience and historical importance of the residence. We were blown away Read more
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Another entry into the hypeOrlando blog community…Seizures ain’t pretty from Forever Young but Growing Old. Hope you’ll stop by and leave a comment. One of these days we’ll be back on the road and I’ll have travel stuff to add here. For the time being we are still getting adjusted to our move back to Read more
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Check out my latest piece in Hypeorlando…Forever Young but Growing Old Read more
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There’s a new blog community in town called hypeorlando – a product of the Orlando Sentinel – and my blog Forever Young but Growing Old is included. This is an exciting opportunity to expand into other areas and reach more people with my musings…hope that’s a good thing. Hypeorlando is loaded with talented bloggers covering Read more
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Having grown up in Orlando before the city was just a glimmer in the eye of Walt Disney, my parents would take family and friends visiting from the North to Lake Eola, in the heart of downtown. The lake’s green-domed fountain was a favorite of visitors and locals alike. A nighttime drive-by provided a colorful Read more
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After a multi-year hiatus, the Orlando Sentinel has decided to publish a My Word column at last…here’s the link “Orlando indeed incomparable to others”. Here’s the unedited version… Beth Kassab’s column about the best “other” downtown reinforced my feeling that Orlando is THE best downtown around. Having just returned, after a seven year “retirement” in Read more
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After seven years of “sort of” retiring to New Smyrna Beach, we have decided it is time to rejoin the living and move back to O-town. Not that beachside living is the place people go to die…it’s just that making a vacation town your full time residence is a bit isolating in terms of diversity. Read more
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Living in Central Florida all our lives, we are very familiar with the St. Augustine School Field Trip. As a student, myself, I was bussed to the oldest city in the U.S. as part of my eighth grade trip, circa 1962, to see the Cross and Sword, which later was designated as the official Florida Read more
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On our way today to the St. Francis Inn, an historic bed and breakfast in St. Augustine. We’re looking forward to three days of fun, food, history, food, ghost tales, and more food! Previous trips to this old city were with children or grandchildren in tow but this time we are on our own and Read more
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A walk on the north bridge across the intracoastal waterway in New Smyrna Beach today afforded an amazing sight of migrating jellyfish. My research came up with the names Moon Jellys and Cannonball Jellyfish. The Moons look like huge, graceful, translucent discs with a pink petal-like formation in the middle. The Cannonballs reminded me of Read more
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Aren’t sharks bad enough? Now we have to worry about rattlesnakes? Check out this report on WFTV – how surreal it must have been to look over and see this huge snake surfing back to the shore. Our seven year vacation in New Smyrna Beach is coming to an end as we prepare to move Read more
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What’s a grandma to do when charged with the care of 7 and 8 year old grandsons for a month in the summer? This kind of challenge might empty one’s wallet if the plans include visits to theme parks in the area, not to mention the pain of dealing with massive crowds and oppressive heat. Read more
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Black Dolphin Inn earns BedandBreakfast.com Top Ten Award. Read more
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BedandBreakfast.com recently named the Black Dolphin Inn, New Smyrna Beach, FL, among their 2013 Top Ten Beach B&B’s. Sharing the list are Inns throughout the United States, Canada, France and Mexico…quite a big deal for our little seaside town. Having just opened in February of 2013, this award arrives on the heels of The Guardian’s Read more
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Detroit, Macon, Hartford, Bloomington, Indiana…do these cities come to mind when planning a summer vacation? Probably not on your bucket list, nor were they on mine. However, my eyes were opened to the wonders of these towns while attending annual conferences of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists (NSNC), a gathering of gifted and enthusiastic Read more
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Our wonderful month in Switzerland is described in the latest AAA TravelViews – the temps here in Florida make me yearn for that cool, crisp mountain air! Read more
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Oh, wow, so psyched to be have an article on the AAA TravelViews blog. They have me listed as a “Contributor”. It’s a cool travel blog and I’m so stoked to be part of it!! Read more
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Travel bloggers might take for granted their home base and not think to write about the place in which they are most familiar. It occurred to me this morning, while walking the beach, that writing about European travels is exciting but I would be remiss to ignore the jewel that is New Smyrna Beach, my Read more
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Too Cold Toronto. Read more
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The next leg of our Canadian journey would take us to Toronto via bus and train. The transportation center was just a half mile walk from the Niagara Falls Doubletree, which we gingerly took through snow which had accumulated that morning. The cost of our two-hour trip was only eight dollars and change as we Read more
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Sorry, my comments on Toronto haven’t made it to the blog yet…making a quick trip to Panama City to visit our son for a few days. Seeing as how it is spring break here, we decided not to stay in our favorite place on the beach, to avoid all the craziness. So, we chose a Read more
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Every time we head north on a winter holiday and tell people we are from Florida, they look at us and ask “Why?!?” Finally, we are asking ourselves the same question after a week spent in Niagara Falls and Toronto, Ontario, in sub-freezing temperatures. The sights were worth the trip but we have sworn off Read more
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As long as Charlie doesn’t catch the God-awful stomach virus I had this week, we’ll be heading up to Niagara Falls and Toronto on Monday. Let’s hope that sleeping in another bedroom did the trick and the bug didn’t find its way into his tummy. For the first time ever we are flying out of Read more
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Over the weekend we celebrated our eight year old grandson’s birthday with a road trip to Nickelodeon Resorts & Suites. The Friday afternoon traffic through Orlando on I-4 reminded us why we choose not to go out that way unless we really have to. Bumper to bumper for no apparent reason, it always amazes me Read more
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Just got back from a long Holiday trip and already ready for a short getaway. Methinks we got bit by the travel bug and we’ve turned into junket junkies. Gma and Gpa duties will suspend during the second week of March, for Spring break, and we were thinking of a restful, warm cruise but just Read more
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Traveling as a “Boomer” Today’s New York Times piece, In Travel, We’re All Boomers Now, we see yet another take on Baby Boomers…I’m getting a bit bored with the term, which groups those of us born between the years 1946 and 1964. A lot of us from that generation do not want to age (self included) Read more
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Bake a new batch of cupcakes each week? What was I thinking?! Sweets from Martha Stewart’s Cupcake Cookbook are beautiful to look at but unnecessarily difficult to make…and the taste and quality of some is questionable. Her first recipe “Chocolate Chip Cupcakes” is a bit convoluted and not near as good as Betty Crocker’s. But, Read more
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Please check out the “Epilepsy” tab of this blog…it will give you info about the upcoming fundraiser walk for the Epilepsy Foundation of Florida…a cause close to my heart as our daughter, Alison, is on meds for grand mal seizures as a result of brain surgery when she was 11 years old. Anyone out there Read more
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One of the many perks of home exchange is the aspect of living like a native in a foreign country. In most cases, the neighbors are as interested in us as we are in them. In Vermont we were looked at as those crazy people who left a Florida winter for two months in the Read more
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After 10 hours on the Goldenpass train, the day before, it was time for a hike. Charlie’s been talking about an area, he’s seen running, called Monteret. Just up, down, up again and over the mountain, are two large buildings which include group houses, owned by a couple of Presbyterian churches. They serve gatherings of Read more
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Our last week in Switzerland and still so much to see. Last week we checked out Montreux and the Chateau Chillon. Very interesting stories surrounding these castles/forts…and dating back to the times of Game of Thrones. Difficult to imagine living in these freezing, stone fortresses. They must have had fires burning all over the structure, Read more
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On our way to Paris, flying out of Geneva…it was a bit disconcerting that no one asked us for our passport or an ID of any kind on the flights from Geneva to Paris and Paris to Geneva…we printed out our boarding pass at a kiosk in the airport, where all we needed was our Read more
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Took a bit of a break from the blog as I picked up a stomach bug and been under the weather, ugh. We had a delightful Christmas Eve dinner with Helena and her godson, Philip, along with his parents, Anne and Patrick. It was a lovely time but, unfortunately a bug got the better of Read more
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We are lucky travelers to enjoy such a hospitable neighbor in Helena. Her house is just above ours..and even though it is so close, it’s a bit of a challenging walk up the path and around to her driveway. The snow and slush have melted due to the ice and warmer temps but there is Read more
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Thursday morning we boarded the first train that would eventually lead us to Zermatt. One can always tell which are everyday passengers versus tourists. We are agog at everything we see and the locals just sit in boredom tending to their particular electronic device. We traveled around Lake Geneva with Mont Blanc in sight, through Read more
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Each night of Advent, several villages participate in open-houses, with a different home hosting an event each evening. The lovely people living in La Chevrerie invited us to their party last night, complete with homemade pumpkin soup and hot wine, among other yummies. Each time someone arrived, they greeted each person attending with a 3-point Read more
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This is what we woke up to on our first morning in La Chevrerie. We arrived after dark and were lucky that Mike, from the neighborhood, was on our train. He knew we were arriving and led us to Jesus and Polina’s chalet. So happy he was there and had a flashlight as it was Read more
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Received the XCom Global WiFi Hotspot yesterday. Will be trying to pick up signals throughout Switzerland over the next month. They are allowing me to use it on the trip, free of charge, and write about our experiences using it. So, please excuse the “product placement” over the next several weeks. We could have used Read more
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Saw this on the beach the other day. It felt like an omen of our upcoming trip. Found out the little village in which we are staying has 3 feet of snow waiting for us. Suffice it to say we added more sweats to our baggage. The Christmas cookies are baked and now the deadline Read more
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So glad there was a beach to walk on today. The north winds are fierce again and the waves are wild but the sun is finally out. Heading back home was a treat to see our neighbor, Sheila, with the doors open and music drifting out to the porch, while MacKenzie photographed her grilled cheese Read more
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Attempting my usual beach walk today was daunting. At first I reveled in the fact that I was the only one on the beach; and then I realized WHY I was the only one on the beach. The tide’s been up all week, limiting cars and visitors. The weather service says the higher than normal Read more
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This article from the Wall Street Journal sounds like a wonderful option for retirement… Read more
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The wind gusts are fierce here in New Smyrna Beach, as Hurricane Sandy skirts the shores. Wondering how high the stack of palm fronds will go. Who needs tree trimmers when all it takes is a windy weather system to do the job. At least we don’t have to worry about huge oak tree limbs crashing Read more
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After years of going to Fodor’s and Frommer’s for travel advice, I was turned on to Rick Steves and his travel books, radio and TV show. He’s extremely thorough in his travel descriptions, especially of Europe, and goes a step further by including out of the way places to visit when you need a break from Read more
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Keep your fingers crossed! On our trip to Switzerland I may be able to participate in a free trial of a new WiFi system which is being offered internationally by XcomGlobal. While traveling we take our netbook and a Kindle Fire with us, taking advantage of free WiFi signals along the way. However, our recent experience in Germany, missing Read more
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So…we didn’t think we would be making another trip this year, especially to Europe again, but….we received an offer we just can’t refuse. A young couple are thinking about relocating to Volusia County…they have friends and family in Orange City. They asked if we would exchange homes for a month over the holidays. After much angst Read more
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Finally home to report that our home exchange went smoothly with no problems or issues. Some commented, when told we were exchanging homes with a stranger, that they could never do that and aren’t we afraid of returning to a trashed house? Nope, didn’t happen. Everything was left the way we left it…with a few Read more
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The Neuschwanstein Castle – traveling south to Hohenschwangau, approaching the mountains, one might feel like breaking out in song…the hills are alive with the sound of music. Pristine green rolling hills with mountain peaks in the distance, windows open in the train car, it’s a beauty that might be individual to the region. The farmers keep Read more
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My husband likes to live on the edge. Instead of spending 25 Euros on a taxi to take us to the Nuremberg rail station to catch our 6 a.m. ICE train to the Frankfurt airport, he’s put together a schedule which includes catching a bus at 5:20, to the underground system which, ultimately, gets us to Read more
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Rothenburg…a purely Bavarian town that harkens back centuries and preserved in such a way that makes it easy to imagine life when the night watchman walked the protective wall surrounding it. The streets are narrow, lined with shops and restaurants, one of which made for a yummy lunch. It was kind of hot the day Read more
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I think a lot of the charm of this part of Europe, for us, has been the delightful weather…low temps and humidity. But since Ruediger has returned from NSB, the temps are hot and humid…ugh. Spent part of Sunday roaming the Zirndorf festival with Ruediger, Andrea, sons Robin and Jason, along with the neighbors upstairs, Read more
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Spending a couple of days again in Zirndorf, enjoying their festival weekend, beginning with a parade Saturday afternoon. It’s all about the beer here in Zirndorf, with a brewery just up the street (Zirndorfer) and another close by (Tucher). The bands were not made up of high school kids but of mixed ages from young Read more
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After two days of rest and relaxation, chilling in Ruediger’s house and exploring Zirndorf, we headed to Berlin early Friday morning, as in 6:15 a.m. When we finally got to Nuremburg, we hopped on an ICE directly to Berlin and arrived around noon. Enjoyed our coffee on the train, while watching the countryside speed by Read more
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OK, time to get on the soap box…what the hell is wrong with our country in terms of utilizing renewable energy? Of course, I know what is wrong…big oil corporations getting huge tax subsidies and using their lobbyists to encourage legislators to vote their way and put the kabosh on any movement toward using the most Read more
Forever Young but Growing Old in Portland
A little bit of this…a little bit of that for active Boomer travelers
Forever Young but Growing Old in Portland 