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Ok... This was the coolest thing! Folks from Woodland Elementary School in Perrysburg, Ohio found my Fine Resort Vacation site online, and contacted me about a project they are doing that incorporates several fields of study - science, math, social studies, etc.
Mr. Jason Hubbard's 5th grade class has formed an "intergalactic tourist board" to design a planet that will entice Darth Vadar to visit, relax, and shake off his evil ways.
So, they asked if I would participate in a question and answer session to help them understand what types of activities and ammenities might be good at such a resort. And since I market Global Resorts Network memberships which include access to thousands of different resorts (and since I visit them myself), I was able to add some insight based on my own experiences.
What we did was set up a video conference using Skype, and I have to say it was awesome! What a blast! The kids had great questions, and it was the most fun I've had in at least a week! :)
We also talked about the things I have seen based on my experiences in Antarctica and New Zealand. We discussed how New Zealand might be a good country to study since it is such a beautiful destination.
Anyway, I'll update this blog if I learn anything else about how the project turned out.
I'm very grateful to Woodland Elementary School for inviting me to participate, and quite humbled, as well. It was an honor to help.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Thursday, January 7, 2010
New YouTube Video - Our Trip to Blue Ridge Village Resort in Banner Elk NC
Ok... This is a little late, I know! Last May, John & I took a quick vacation to Banner Elk, North Carolina in the Blue Ridge Mountains - or the North Carolina High Country. What an absolutely gorgeous area!
As many of you know, I have been attempting to learn how to film and post things on YouTube, and one of the reasons I've been so late with this particular entry is ... um... well, good old fashioned procrastination due to fear since I am still on the YouTube learning curve!
But, I finally bit the bullet and "just did it." Yes, I followed my own advice! :)
At any rate, here is the YouTube video which is only 3 1/2 minutes long, showing a little about our trip, which included a terrific visit to Christa's Country Corner and Deli where we stuffed ourselves silly on smoked chicken, along with a view of the Blue Ridge Village resort where we stayed (and which is one of the thousands of resorts available through the Global Resorts Network membership we like so much), and a quick look at the Banner Elk Winery. Alas... we ran out of battery power during our visit to the winery, so there is only a screen shot.
I will be getting a larger article out there about the trip and some of the amazing activities that are available out in the Banner Elk area. Stayed tuned to my Fine Resort Vacation site for more!
As many of you know, I have been attempting to learn how to film and post things on YouTube, and one of the reasons I've been so late with this particular entry is ... um... well, good old fashioned procrastination due to fear since I am still on the YouTube learning curve!
But, I finally bit the bullet and "just did it." Yes, I followed my own advice! :)
At any rate, here is the YouTube video which is only 3 1/2 minutes long, showing a little about our trip, which included a terrific visit to Christa's Country Corner and Deli where we stuffed ourselves silly on smoked chicken, along with a view of the Blue Ridge Village resort where we stayed (and which is one of the thousands of resorts available through the Global Resorts Network membership we like so much), and a quick look at the Banner Elk Winery. Alas... we ran out of battery power during our visit to the winery, so there is only a screen shot.
I will be getting a larger article out there about the trip and some of the amazing activities that are available out in the Banner Elk area. Stayed tuned to my Fine Resort Vacation site for more!
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Back in South Carolina - Happy New Year 2010!
Hello everyone!
I'm back in South Carolina - this time in Myrtle Beach (versus Cherry Grove where we were last winter). We were encouraged by the locals who all said that last winter was the coldest in years.
Hmm. Today, it is about 40 - not too bad. But yesterday's wind chills were COLD!
Glad I brought my long-johns! :) We do wish we had come back earlier - we had to be plowed 8 times before we left New Hampshire on December 29th. That's a LOT of plowing - even by New Hampshire standards.
Anyway, I realize that I've been "gone" for quite a while - We've been caught up in beginning to get the house up in NH ready to sell, staying caught up with the summer and fall Portable Garages and Shelters sales, and then sneaking away for a couple of weeks to St. Maarten.
(Ahem... Note to self: NEVER schedule a vacation during the high season for Portable Garage sales. We had scheduled the St. Maarten trip earlier last year, and honestly did not know that November was still a busy time of year for Portable Garage sales. We won't make that mistake again! BUSINESS TIP OF THE DAY: It is a BAD IDEA to leave a busy store unattended.)
So, here I am, settled into our winter quarters high above the gorgeous sands of Myrtle Beach. I have my computer set up, files organized, pencils sharpened, and a refreshed sense of humor.
Time to get back to work! In the coming days and weeks, I'll be writing and posting numerous articles and (yes!) some YouTube videos from some of our trips over the last year. Hopefully they will give viewers and potential travelers some insights into where we've been.
I'll keep you posted! In the meantime, I wish all of you a happy, healthy, safe, and prosperous year ahead.
I'm back in South Carolina - this time in Myrtle Beach (versus Cherry Grove where we were last winter). We were encouraged by the locals who all said that last winter was the coldest in years.
Hmm. Today, it is about 40 - not too bad. But yesterday's wind chills were COLD!
Glad I brought my long-johns! :) We do wish we had come back earlier - we had to be plowed 8 times before we left New Hampshire on December 29th. That's a LOT of plowing - even by New Hampshire standards.
Anyway, I realize that I've been "gone" for quite a while - We've been caught up in beginning to get the house up in NH ready to sell, staying caught up with the summer and fall Portable Garages and Shelters sales, and then sneaking away for a couple of weeks to St. Maarten.
(Ahem... Note to self: NEVER schedule a vacation during the high season for Portable Garage sales. We had scheduled the St. Maarten trip earlier last year, and honestly did not know that November was still a busy time of year for Portable Garage sales. We won't make that mistake again! BUSINESS TIP OF THE DAY: It is a BAD IDEA to leave a busy store unattended.)
So, here I am, settled into our winter quarters high above the gorgeous sands of Myrtle Beach. I have my computer set up, files organized, pencils sharpened, and a refreshed sense of humor.
Time to get back to work! In the coming days and weeks, I'll be writing and posting numerous articles and (yes!) some YouTube videos from some of our trips over the last year. Hopefully they will give viewers and potential travelers some insights into where we've been.
I'll keep you posted! In the meantime, I wish all of you a happy, healthy, safe, and prosperous year ahead.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Inspired by Appalachian Trail (AT) Thru-Hikers
I just got back from "town" - which is what we call Gorham, NH - the closest place we can do any shopping up here in rural Randolph, NH. Whenever I see a backpacker this time of year, I can fairly accurately determine if he or she is hiking on the Appalachian Trail - or "the A.T."
You really cannot miss a thru-hiker (which is the term used for an A.T. hiker whose intent it is to hike either from Springer Mountain, Georgia to Mount Katahdin, Maine or vice versa). The majority of thru-hikers go from south to north, beginning in early spring so that they can reasonably expect to complete the 2,000+ mile trail before the snows fly in the fall.
Of course, there are also a number of "flip floppers" who hike from north to south. When my husband and his buddy decided to do a stretch of trail some years ago, they started at Katahdin.
Anyway, there are several things that scream "thru-hiker" when you see one. By the time these hardy souls arrive in Gorham, NH (a point close to the trail in the northern White Mountains of New Hampshire) they are usually very lean, a bit shaggy looking, have voracious appetities, and are a bit - ummm... shall we say "ripe" - after all, it's tough to wash your clothes very well on the trail.
They also typically go by "trail names." For example, one of our very good friends hikes for approximately 6 weeks every spring on the A.T., and calls himself "slo-go'en'" since he is never in a hurry. I love hearing the trail names. Of course, there's always gonna be the "Katahdin Kid" or "Blister," but I cannot help but enjoy wondering where "whykickamoocow" or "crazylegscrim" got those particular monikers.
All part of being on the trail.
Thru-hikers sometimes have a little bemused look to their faces by the time they hit Gorham as they deal with the sudden rush of population, diversions, and noise (which is actually quite tame in my view - but then again, I'm originally from suburban New Jersey - so who's to say?).
Although I have never attempted nor accomplished a long backpacking trip , I always appreciate the intense effort it takes someone to complete this type of endeavor (my longest hike was about 5 grueling days on the Long Trail in Vermont years ago when I was fit and sassy).
So, it is with respect and great regularity that whenever I see an obvious thru-hiker in town, I stop and give them a lift somewhere. To the store (the closest grocery store is a few miles out of Gorham), to their hostel or hotel, or occasionally to a restaurant where we ply the hiker with food or ice cream...
This summer, I have had the usual pleasure of meeting a few hikers - one whose trail name escapes me at the moment. I'm sure he's long since finished the trail and is hopefully relaxing safely at home and reminiscing about how simple and basic life in the woods can be.
While I was giving this particular hiker a ride into town, he told me of another thru-hiker who had fallen into some bad luck this summer. This unfortunate hiker had made it rather far north when - during some time of high water (which was most of the summer it seems), he evidently fell into a river and lost all his gear.
Pack, clothes, cooking gear, food, sleeping gear - gone. All of it.
Imagine for just a moment the feeling this guy must have had (after, of course, being thankful that he didn't drown and was able to escape his pack while in the water). This can be a difficult situation for one who is more than 20 miles from civilization. Again, he is extremely lucky to be alive - but, being cold and wet out in the middle of nowhere with nowhere to go at the moment could not have been anything but miserable.
But, true to the spirit of the participants in this culture - and it IS a culture all its own - somehow the guy was temporarily outfitted during this emergency in order to make it out of the woods safely. And once he reached civilization, I am told that he was taking a couple of weeks off while his family and friends re-outfitted him.
The thru-hiker who told me about this indicated that even after that scary experience, the guy would be finishing the trail. Of course, this came in from one of the hikers, so since it's 3rd hand, who can be sure of the whole story? I'm guessing that on one of the A.T. websites - maybe http://www.trailjournals.com/ or other hiker resource, we could probably find reference to this incident.
But, then, came today when I gave "The Phoenix" (his trail name) a ride from Wal-Mart (the closest store with food on the shelves in any quantity) back to where he was staying in town. He told me of his own experience on the trail thus far - and told it with such nonchalance, I could scarcely believe it.
Turns out that while this young and lanky lad was in a shelter down in Maryland or thereabouts, he got bitten by a raccoon. He had to leave the trail and endure rabies treatments for a while. He told me this story in the same casual tone of voice as though he had just told me he found the aisle in the store where they kept the bottled water. "Hey guys, found the water. It's over in aisle 10." "Hey guys, I just got bitten by a raccoon and need to think about getting back to civilization pretty soon so I can get shots to be sure I don't die."
Anyway, once he felt better, he headed north to Katahdin and was now hiking south to finish the trail where he had to leave it when he had his unfortunate encounter with the raccoon.
Absolutely amazing! How can ya NOT be inspired when hearing these types of stories?
Actually, I really do give these folks a lift and some trail magic just because it's fun to do so - but, hearing their stories is priceless.
As for me - although I still am not inclined to go without a shower for as long as these hardcore thru-hikers can - I AM inclined to get out from behind this keyboard tomorrow and go just a little bit further up the trail for my daily exercise.
Ok, signing off for today - and for those of you who enjoy a little bit more cushy vacations at comfy resort condos, I invite you to check out our wonderful vacation travel memberships here at Fine Resort Vacation, where we are changing the way we take vacations (and can leave for dayhikes from the comfort of our lodgings)!
You really cannot miss a thru-hiker (which is the term used for an A.T. hiker whose intent it is to hike either from Springer Mountain, Georgia to Mount Katahdin, Maine or vice versa). The majority of thru-hikers go from south to north, beginning in early spring so that they can reasonably expect to complete the 2,000+ mile trail before the snows fly in the fall.
Of course, there are also a number of "flip floppers" who hike from north to south. When my husband and his buddy decided to do a stretch of trail some years ago, they started at Katahdin.
Anyway, there are several things that scream "thru-hiker" when you see one. By the time these hardy souls arrive in Gorham, NH (a point close to the trail in the northern White Mountains of New Hampshire) they are usually very lean, a bit shaggy looking, have voracious appetities, and are a bit - ummm... shall we say "ripe" - after all, it's tough to wash your clothes very well on the trail.
They also typically go by "trail names." For example, one of our very good friends hikes for approximately 6 weeks every spring on the A.T., and calls himself "slo-go'en'" since he is never in a hurry. I love hearing the trail names. Of course, there's always gonna be the "Katahdin Kid" or "Blister," but I cannot help but enjoy wondering where "whykickamoocow" or "crazylegscrim" got those particular monikers.
All part of being on the trail.
Thru-hikers sometimes have a little bemused look to their faces by the time they hit Gorham as they deal with the sudden rush of population, diversions, and noise (which is actually quite tame in my view - but then again, I'm originally from suburban New Jersey - so who's to say?).
Although I have never attempted nor accomplished a long backpacking trip , I always appreciate the intense effort it takes someone to complete this type of endeavor (my longest hike was about 5 grueling days on the Long Trail in Vermont years ago when I was fit and sassy).
So, it is with respect and great regularity that whenever I see an obvious thru-hiker in town, I stop and give them a lift somewhere. To the store (the closest grocery store is a few miles out of Gorham), to their hostel or hotel, or occasionally to a restaurant where we ply the hiker with food or ice cream...
This summer, I have had the usual pleasure of meeting a few hikers - one whose trail name escapes me at the moment. I'm sure he's long since finished the trail and is hopefully relaxing safely at home and reminiscing about how simple and basic life in the woods can be.
While I was giving this particular hiker a ride into town, he told me of another thru-hiker who had fallen into some bad luck this summer. This unfortunate hiker had made it rather far north when - during some time of high water (which was most of the summer it seems), he evidently fell into a river and lost all his gear.
Pack, clothes, cooking gear, food, sleeping gear - gone. All of it.
Imagine for just a moment the feeling this guy must have had (after, of course, being thankful that he didn't drown and was able to escape his pack while in the water). This can be a difficult situation for one who is more than 20 miles from civilization. Again, he is extremely lucky to be alive - but, being cold and wet out in the middle of nowhere with nowhere to go at the moment could not have been anything but miserable.
But, true to the spirit of the participants in this culture - and it IS a culture all its own - somehow the guy was temporarily outfitted during this emergency in order to make it out of the woods safely. And once he reached civilization, I am told that he was taking a couple of weeks off while his family and friends re-outfitted him.
The thru-hiker who told me about this indicated that even after that scary experience, the guy would be finishing the trail. Of course, this came in from one of the hikers, so since it's 3rd hand, who can be sure of the whole story? I'm guessing that on one of the A.T. websites - maybe http://www.trailjournals.com/ or other hiker resource, we could probably find reference to this incident.
But, then, came today when I gave "The Phoenix" (his trail name) a ride from Wal-Mart (the closest store with food on the shelves in any quantity) back to where he was staying in town. He told me of his own experience on the trail thus far - and told it with such nonchalance, I could scarcely believe it.
Turns out that while this young and lanky lad was in a shelter down in Maryland or thereabouts, he got bitten by a raccoon. He had to leave the trail and endure rabies treatments for a while. He told me this story in the same casual tone of voice as though he had just told me he found the aisle in the store where they kept the bottled water. "Hey guys, found the water. It's over in aisle 10." "Hey guys, I just got bitten by a raccoon and need to think about getting back to civilization pretty soon so I can get shots to be sure I don't die."
Anyway, once he felt better, he headed north to Katahdin and was now hiking south to finish the trail where he had to leave it when he had his unfortunate encounter with the raccoon.
Absolutely amazing! How can ya NOT be inspired when hearing these types of stories?
Actually, I really do give these folks a lift and some trail magic just because it's fun to do so - but, hearing their stories is priceless.
As for me - although I still am not inclined to go without a shower for as long as these hardcore thru-hikers can - I AM inclined to get out from behind this keyboard tomorrow and go just a little bit further up the trail for my daily exercise.
Ok, signing off for today - and for those of you who enjoy a little bit more cushy vacations at comfy resort condos, I invite you to check out our wonderful vacation travel memberships here at Fine Resort Vacation, where we are changing the way we take vacations (and can leave for dayhikes from the comfort of our lodgings)!
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
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