Postcards 2

Here is the great thing about these first two. I received them both on the same day from two different people with two different postcrossing ID's and as you can see they are both from Suomi, Finland. How weird is that? It's never happened to me before but I have to say that although the system of how address' are picked for you over at postcrossing is supposed to be random I get a LOT of address' in Finland and I get a LOT of postcards from Finland. Now I like Finland as much as the next guy (you do like Finland, don't you?) but unless the amount of users from Finland way out number that from the rest of the world there is something up with the randomness of the system. No matter, I still love the postcrossing project.

Both cards make it look like a nice place to visit. I don't really love the cards where they take two or three perfectly nice pictures and put them next to each other or on top of each other. Like the red house with the stream in the second postcard, that is a beautiful picture that could carry a card on it's own but they have thrown form flowers on top of it and a weird boarder around it and that is not attractive.


This one came to me from China actually from Susie in Shanghai to be more specific. It looks like such beautiful country. So much of it looks completely untouched or at least not paved over like so much of America and other places for that matter. China is definitely on my list of places to visit.


This one I have misplaced and so can't give you any information on it but it is cool looking and a little weird.


Oh Italy how I long to visit your...your...your everything! I copied this from the official orta website :
The area around Lake Orta has long been a favorite tourists, thanks to the quiet beauty of the landscape, its fascinating history and its wealth of artistic treasures - principally Romanesque and Baroque architecture.

Lake Orta lies to the west of Lake Maggiore, in the northern Italy. It is a minor star in the costellation of the subalpine lakes, but all the fascination and the history of the larger lakes seem to be concentrated in this short space.



And Now...
Tip Today - FYI In Europe they don' usually give away free water at restaurants and a lot of the time they drink sparkling water not regular water.
Quote Today - “Our battered suitcases were piled on the sidewalk again; we had longer ways to go. But no matter, the road is life.” - Jack Kerouac
Dreaming Of - Taking the Little Guy somewhere exotic not just to Grandma's house

Trailhead Park on Veronica Shoemaker

I am convinced that one of the best ways to experience any place that I visit is to stop by a neighborhood park. Even though I was born and raised in Fort Myers, Florida the area is constantly changing and my 3 years in New Orleans have been long enough for me to find new places to visit when I come back to Florida to visit family. One of the new things I noticed on this visit is a new park on Veronica Shoemaker Blvd, I believe the address was 3600.

The park was hot on the day we visited and there isn't a lot of shade for the playground area but there are three covered pavilions that are available on a first come first served basis. Which is where I parked my bag while the little guy was playing.

Adjacent to the two playgrounds, each recommended for different age groups, there is a section with exercise equipment. This is not one of those old circuits with a wooden bench and three poles of varying heights sticking out of the ground, this new and improved circuit course has a manual treadmill, skier and row type machines. I was really impressed with how smoothing everything ran considering it is out in the elements and Florida is a pretty harsh environment. I picture this park as the perfect place to meet with a group of parent friends a few times per week. The little ones could play as a few parents watched and the other parents could run through the circuits nearby then switch off, I wish New Orleans had a park like this one, I would definitely exercise more often.

We weren't out every long since it was a really hot day, but while we were at this park there was a group of people in the largest pavilion, they seemed to be having a debate, it was organized and I wondered if it was some type of group therapy session. It was interesting hearing little bits of conversation about why people dumped old boyfriends and what someone would do with a million dollars. A few minutes before we decided to pack it up for the day a couple of people on their lunch break sat down at a table with their sandwiches, which looked really good by the way, they were friendly and said 'hi' to my son as we walked by. These are the types of people you see at neighborhood parks, real local people enjoying the area, just like you.


And Now...
Tip Today - Always leave a flashlight in your car, you never know when you are going to need it, flat tire at night anyone? Show of hands.
Dreaming Of - A souvenir giveaway series from all the places I visit.

Signs

There are plenty of sites out there on the Internet that collect weird and interesting signs from around the world which I find lots of fun to look at so here I am going to share one with you that I ran into today while at the new trailhead park on Veronica Shoemaker Blvd in Fort Myers.

Regalo Travel Cot - Travel Product Review

Kids Love It! That is what it says on the side of the box, actually that is what it says on four sides of the box. I ordered the Regalo Travel Cot from walmart.com before what was supposed to be a trip to San Antonio and turned out to be a trip to Florida. My son is 2 and a half years old, he outgrew the pack-n-play a few months ago, in fact when we came to Florida in March his head and feet were touching the ends of the pack-n-play so it was definitely time for something new.

I searched the Internet for something safe, comfortable and inexpensive what I found was the Regalo Travel Cot. When it first arrived at the house we took it out of the box set it up and without any prompting my son went to his bed picked out his blankets and pillow and brought them all to his new travel cot. He set up the cot the way he wanted it with stuffed animals and all then climbed on and laid down.

It really is true, kids love it. I didn't really believe what I was seeing, I did not expect him to hate it but to recognize it as a bed without being told and then to climb in so readily? I wasn't ready for that. After a good play sleep we packed up the Travel cot in it's handy carrying bag (included) in preparation for our road trip to Florida. It is lightweight but sturdy making it easy to carry around but safe and secure once it is set up for the little guy's bedtime. It folds up long about 2 1/2 feet but not very wide about 6 inches which makes it really easy to fit in the car. In my Mini Cooper it fits perfectly in the floor of the storage area and in the RX8 it fits easily in the trunk with lots of positioning options.

Once at your destination it fits perfectly in any size room. We have it between the bed and the closet in the bedroom that my son and I share while visiting Grandma in Florida. It fits with no trouble at all and there is still room to get around in the room, if you were staying in a very small room, the cot is so easy to fold up that you could just fold it and store it when it wasn't in use during the day. I plan to use this cot many more times in the coming months and maybe even years. The listing on the box says it can be used for 2 - 7 year olds but if my guy keeps growing at his current rate he will be too talk for it before he is 7 but I am guessing we will be able to use it till he is around 5 years old and that is still 2 1/2 years away so I will have many more traveling adventures to share with you and keep you informed on how the Regalo Travel Cot holds up.

Domestic Postcards

In addition to the lot of postcards I receive from international destinations I also receive a few from right here in the United States of America. Each one reminds me time and again how many wonderful things we have right here in our own country. These are a few of those cards.

This one was sent to me through postcrossing from Maine (in case you haven't figured that out already). A little house that just screams out to tell it's story surrounded by Lupine flowers that bloom throughout Maine in the late Spring and Early Fall. If I were in Maine during this time of year I would probably drive right by this spot never even slowing down but that would be a shame. A good photo should show us these little things that we would otherwise miss and a good postcard is no different. This one succeeds for sure.

When I here "Santa Barbara" I think big city, traffic and crowds. In my mind Santa Barbara gets lumped in with L.A. but this postcard makes me think a little differently. One day I will have to visit Santa Barbara to set the record straight.

Southern Summer Rainstorms

One of the great things about traveling is seeing all the different things, experiencing new and different things or the opportunity to rediscover those little things that you love. (one of the bad things is dailup internet connection, notice the lack of pictures?).
In Louisiana we have thunderstorms but they are just not as sweeping as the ones here in Florida. It seems with the changes in the weather that there are fewer and fewer of these storms both in Louisiana and in Florida. Being here on the "farm" in Florida you really get a sense of the power behind the storms that I think is lost in the buildings of the big city.

Leave me a comment telling me something you have enjoyed discovering or rediscovering while on vacation.


And Now...
Tip Today - Never pack a bottle filling with liquid loose in your checked bag. Always wrap it in a plastic bag or ziplock bag. you never know when there will be a leak (or worse, a break) and you don't want shampoo all over your clothes.
Dreaming Of - high speed internet.

Driving to Fl

The little one and I are on our way to Fort Myers, Florida to visit my family.
One of the things I really love about road trips is all the little things I have the opportunity to see. Like this old house that I saw today, just West of Live Oak, FL off I-75. It was abandoned in a field next to a gas station where we stopped to fill up the needsomgas. Everytime I see a building like this I ache to know it's story.

Weird Postcards

Recently I joined a weird/odd/strange round robin for postcards on postcrossing and I finally received all the cards from all the other participants and wanted to share them with you here.

This first one was sent to me from France and it smells fishy to me. LOL, OMG, knee slapper that one.
Sorry, I really am sorry about that stinker. I did it again, somebody stop me!

This next one comes to me from Dallas, Texas. There are reasons why I don't see myself ever living in Texas and although I don't have a clue what this postcard means I think this might be one of the reasons.

This card comes to me from Russia and although I don't think it is as weird as the other two it is definitely cute. The postcrosser who sent it to me informs me that the statement on the front translates to "Dreaming is not Harmful"

And Now...
Tip Today - List, list, list. make lists of everything from clothes to toiletries to electronics and accessories. Then mark them off the lsit as you put them in your suitcase.

Quote Today - “A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.” - Lao Tzu

Dreaming Of - Sleep lots of wonderful sleep

How to make a Baby Bedroom

This is something I did a while ago back before I was really posting on this blog regularly. Now that I am taking it more seriously I want to bring it back to the front for all of you to enjoy.

This is a video where I explain how to build a separate bedroom for your baby or child when staying in a hotel room


Click Here to View





And Now...
Tip Today - When making this baby bedroom near a door place a towel at the bottom of the door to keep the light from disturbing the baby.
Quote Today -“The whole object of travel is not to set foot on foreign land; it is at last to set foot on one’s own country as a foreign land.” - G. K. Chesterton
Dreaming Of - taking a nap

Travel Products Review - Regalo Portable Booster & Activity Chair

When my son started sitting in a high chair I knew I had a problem, see we live in the Faubourg Marigny. Faubourg Marigny is the neighborhood just outside the French Quarter to the East. That means we live in an area where there are not a lot of kids which further means the restaurants in our area that do allow children (and there are actually a few) do not always provide high chairs. This led to me having to find an easy, light and safe alternative to the sturdy though sometimes dirty wooden high chair provided by so many restaurants.

What I found was this great little booster seat made by Regalo. The seat straps to pretty much any regular chair. When straped down it is very secure. I have never had any problem with it slipping in all the places I have been. This seat folds up easily and comes with it's own little carrying case (really convienient) and comes it at just 3 pounds making it great for walking around and an easy addition to a picnic or other activity. Plus the little guy can move it around himself if we are out at a park. I love when he can help out. It is totally washable and has a built in cup holder. This seat has allowed us to go out to many places we simply wold not have been able to go without it. I always add it to the car for road trips. It's folds up so small it isn't any trouble to fit it in and it is hands down one of the biggest assets on road trips for restaurants and park visits.

And Now...
Tip Today - When flying aerosol insecticides - Hazardous aerosols, such as insecticides, cannot be transported in either your carry-on or checked luggage. Better to purchase your bug spray at yur destination or pack those new bug wipes and patches for outdoor adventures.
Quote Today - “A journey is best measured in friends, rather than miles.” - Tim Cahill
Dreaming Of - Getting my husband to agree to a long road trip.

More Postcards

This one comes to me from Portugal, this looks like a great little place to grab lunch right on the river though which river it is I don't know because it does not seem to be listed anywhere on the card.

This postcard came all the way from South Korea. I can't read the caption on the back (it's in Korean) but this looks like a very interesting place to visit

This postcard makes Sao Paulo look like a big over populated city. Nothing but big buildings everywhere. It's a big difference from the sun and beaches vision that we are always fed of Brazil.

The first thing I thought of when I received this card was "Bond, James Bond"

And Now...
Tip Today - When going camping or even a road trip place a drier sheet in your bag with your clothes to keep them smelling clean for days.

Quote Today - ″A traveler without observation is a bird without wings.” - Moslih Eddin Saadi

Dreaming Of - money...isn't that sad

Remember How...

We were going to:



Well now we are going to:

For a brief period of time in between we were going to:

but it was so brief I did not even mention it here.

How it all happened is this. My husband travels for work and about two weeks or so ago they had him on the schedule to be in San Antonio from the 15th to the 30th of June. Since this is just 8 hours from our house we decided it would be cool for me and the little guy to go with him so we started planning. Then we had to evict our renters for nonpayment of rent which gave us a court date on the 17th (nothing we could do about the date) forcing the bosses to change SH's (that's Super Hubby) schedule which put him in Atlanta from the 21st to the 30th and we were going to go with him until we found out he would be working 12 hours on/12 hours off. There really is not good way to work out a shift like that with 2 year old in a hotel room. Maybe if we could afford a suit with two rooms so SH would not wake LG (that's Little Guy) up and vice versa but we can not so that left me and LG here alone again which i was not up for so instead we are off to Fort Myers, FL to visit with my family while he is out of town. So I will share as much as i can while i am down there, I have my Iphone but my family is still on dial-up so i make no promises. I'm still not sure when we are leaving exactly but I know we are driving. It's 12 hours just me and the LG, it's one fun trip.


And Now...
Tip Today - When traveling with your pet consider pet daycare at your destination. They provide love and care for your pet during the hot daytime hours while you are most likely to be busy with activities.
Quote Today - “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” - Mark Twain
Dreaming Of -A cabin in the woods, noone around just me and nature and maybe a pen and journal. That's all i need.

Great Travel Blog

I'm always searching the Internet for great travel info and like minded individuals. Today I rediscovered the Our Crazy Travels blog from the same people who bring you the Indie Travel Podcast. I actually found their podcast before I came upon their blog a few months ago. The podcast is pretty informative though I find their blog to have a fresh and clean look to it that makes the information seem more accessible. I love that the authors of this blog can travel so much, they spend so much time on the road, traveling the world and experiencing all it has to offer. I am so jealous.
Another thing I really like about this blog that can sometimes be hard to find in this area of the world where we become lost in our own ego is the fact that if you skim through the categories on the right side of their blog you won't see a listing for the USA. that's right they travel all over and haven't made it to the USA yet. I love it! Turns out we aren't the center of the world. This blog is a refreshing look at the world for all of us over here in the United States. Plus it's full of tons of real traveler info for locales around the globe.

And Now...
Tip Today - In these times of the troubled Dollar, look for all inclusive packages, such as resorts or cruises and pay upfront in U.S. dollars.

Quote Today - "So much better to travel than to arrive." - Margaret Atwood

Dreaming Of - Traveling to Outer Space. The reality is close but is it close enough to happen in my lifetime? I'm still not sure about that.

Something Borrowed

This is a list of things I have been "borrowing" from hotels recently and will probably do again while we are in San Antonio next week. These are great tips for anyone staying in a hotel.

1.Milk
The LG needs a cup of milk at night and one in the morning and there is no refrigerator in our room. What to do? Well, they have free breakfast every morning including those little 8 oz individual cartons of milk. His morning cup of milk comes fresh from the breakfast line and another unopened carton goes back up to the room with me. Then the little guy and I take a fun trip to the ice machine and I "hide" the unopened carton of milk in the ice bucket during the day to serve as his cup of milk at night.

2. Peanut Butter
This is another treat snatched from the breakfast bar. Near the bagels and toast there are baskets for different condiments such as jelly, butter, cream cheese and peanut butter. Each in little individual containers usually just enough to spread on one slice of bread. Well, since the LG loves peanut butter and could care less whether it is spread of a slice of bread or not, I grab a few of these individual containers each morning along with a spoon to serve as little snacks throughout the day. He likes that he has his own little thing of peanut butter that he can carry around with him. Obviously eating the same snack every day doesn't promote variety but most toddlers don't care and when you are not at home but trying to live cheap this is one corner I am willing to cut for the week.

3. Coffee
You know those coffee packets that come with all hotels rooms? The ones they replace everyday like the shampoo and conditioner? Ok if you use those, great but if you don't, take them home. I take mine home, open them up and bump them into my coffee canister at home. If you are a coffee nut who has to drink such-n-such brand or you will die then this will not work for you because what you end up with is a jumble of different kinds of coffee for a while after you return from a vacation but if you collect two - four packets per day for the length of the vacation and every packet will make 2 - 4 cups of coffee then you are saving a weeks worth of coffee money. I usually only drink coffee in the morning so I put the coffee packet from my room in my bag (letting the maid replace the ones in my room) and grab a cup downstairs in the lobby with my free breakfast. Plus, if you really want to save money and don't mind the some decaf jumbled in with your regular at home then grab those packets too and save more.

4. Shampoo, Conditioner, Lotion and Mouthwash
This is the no brainer one, everyone does it and if they don't do it they think about it and if they didn't think about it, they probably just forgot. Take it home and dump it into your big bottles or if you hit the gym then these little hotel bottles are perfect to throw into your gym bag for after workout showers. Also, they are great for camping, hiking or boating adventures or even foreign travel to areas where you aren't sure these types of things will be provided. Another great thing about the lotion and mouth wash is they are usually under 3oz which means they are the perfect size to throw in your clear plastic bag and take on the plane with anytime you fly.






And Now...
Tip Today - This post is full of tips want another one? Use the plastic bag in your hotel room that is supposed to be used to have your laundry washed by the staff to carry your dirty clothes home in. Simply put your smelly clothes in the bag then put the bag in your suitcase this keeps the dirt away from your clean clothes on the trip back home.

Quote Today - “There are no foreign lands. It is the traveler only who is foreign.” - Robert Louis Stevenson

Dreaming Of - Getting out of the city and getting on to our San Antonio trip.

Earth.org

Earth.org wins an award (according to me) for the best up and coming travel website.
Earth.org is a collaboratively written travel guide with a non-profit approach. Earth.org is written by people just like me and you from all over the world. They have taken the basic idea behind wikipedia and turned it into what could very possibly become the best travel guide on the web.

I love that Earth.org is non-profit, so many travel guides these days stink. How can a guide truly be telling me the best places to eat when the restaurants pay to be included in their guidebook? That smells fishy, same goes for most travel shows these days too. From what I have read and heard I don't think we need to worry about Earth.org selling out any time soon.

Everyone has information they contribute to a project like this, even if you don't regularly travel you have information about the town you live in that people visiting would love to have, so take a few minutes to share those insider tidbits of information with the traveling world at Earth.org. I plan to share tons of info about New Orleans and maybe even Fort Myers, Florida since I lived there for 25 years. If you know the best place to shop for bath products or the only place in your city to get real Chinese food or anything else you would like to share then go to Earth.org and share your knowledge with travelers all over the world.

Learning From Postcards

Getting postcards is so great, the ones from different parts of the world are so much fun. I learn things too. Like this card above. It took me a while to figure out what the card was depicting since I don't speak (or read) Czech but I finally found a website that when translated for me by Google was filled with lots of information on the event. It is a march through the woods that have been decorated and filled with actors portraying fairytale characters. It seems to mostly be an event for families and children, it looks like fun to me. You can find more info and lots of pictures of the festivities at this website.
I also found this video on You Tube, you don't have to understand what they are saying to know the kids are having a good time and that it would be a fun event to attend with kids for sure if you were ever in the Czech Republic around May or June. It seems like different villages have their own marches through the woods on different dates mostly during those two months.









And Now...
Tip Today - If you need to pack using just a carry-on, then pick one that is big enough to hold about five outfits and three or four books. A great bag is a school backpack! - From 1000tips4trips.com

Quote Today - "Most travel is best of all in the anticipation or the remembering; the reality has more to do with losing your luggage." -- Regina Nadelson

Dreaming Of - A day off from the terrible twos

And Now...

I started something on my other blog, Mom's Not All and I think with a little modification it will work nicely over here too. I picked three things I thought would be interesting or helpful to know but I might tweek them down the line if I find that others don't find them as informative as I might have hoped or if I just find something I think would be better.

First, I will pass along one great travel tip everyday with the goal of helping a few of you make your next vacation the best it can be. If anyone has a travel tip they would like to be included in this section please let me know. If you blog about you travel tip I can even link back to you in this section.

Next, I will share a travel quote of the day. There are so many great quotes out there, people from all walks of life travel. Some around the world and some just to the next town but where ever they go they usually have something to say about the experience. I will do my best to find off the wall quotes about travel from all kinds of people.

Finally, I will share something I am currently dreaming of, since this is a travel blog I will mostly share my current dream vacation (it changes a lot since it is a dream, the sky is the limit and nothing is too small) but sometimes I might be dreaming of something else.




And Now...
Tip Today - Want to save on renting a car or don't feel like driving to your destination? Check out Amtrak's Auto Train

Quote Today - “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” - St. Augustine

Dreaming Of - taking a vacation to somewhere like a beaches resort where my husband and I can have a god time and so can my son. A place with something for all of us.

Great Outdoors Month

Did you know that June is Great Outdoors Month? Neither did I until I found the Great American Backyard Campout website. In case you can't make it out to an event for National Get Outdoors Day then maybe there is a campout near you on June 27th for the Great American Backyard Campout. If not then take a hint from the title of the day and set up a tent in your backyard, it's the ultimate staycation.

You can pick up a tent for about $100.00 at Walmart or for something a little more substantial check out your local sporting goods store, either way all you need to do is set it up in your backyard bring out you pillow and a blanket and have a great time. Kids love it and you will too. And for all of you out there who don't have kids at home let me tell you sleeping under the stars with the one I love is right near the top of my romantic things list.

If money is tight and you don't already have a tent then grab a couple sturdy sticks, a pack of hotdogs and a bag of marshmellows. Then build a small fire in the backyard. You can make a firering from some unused bricks or cenderblocks or if none of those are around dig a little trench around where you plan to guild your fire to make a barrier between the fire and the rest of the ground. Bring the loved ones outside for dinner over an open fire. It will be a great experience you won't soon forget.


After the Great American Backyard Campout is over keep up the great tradition of getting outside with Green Hour. Whose message is : Time spent in nature is part of a healthy childhood. The thought that by giving our children a "Green Hour" a day -- a bit of time for unstructured play and interaction with the natural world -- we can set them on the path toward physical, mental, and emotional well-being.

National Get Outdoors Day

National Get Outdoors Day is in it's second year and will hold events all over the country on June 13th.

"Participants from federal agencies, nonprofit organizations and the recreation industry are again teaming up to host the second annual National Get Outdoors Day (GO Day) to encourage healthy, active outdoor fun at sites across the nation. On Saturday, June 13, these diverse partners will offer opportunities for American families to experience traditional and non-traditional types of outdoor activities. Prime goals of the day are reaching currently under-served populations and first-time visitors to public lands, and reconnecting our youth to the great outdoors."
People are so disconnected from the natural world around them, even the nature around them everyday. The saying Take time to stop and smell the roses" couldn't be more important in today's world. Next time you are walking from your car to the entrance of the grocery store pay attention to how much nature you see around you. I bet if people took the time to do this more often they would be happier, calmer and more appreciative people. That is why I am so happy for an event like this.

There will be an event here in New Orleans at the Bonnet Carre Spillway, you can find an event near you by checking out the National Get Outdoors Day website.

Postcards

I get a lot of really cool post cards through postcrossing. Today I received four more:

This one from the Ukraine depicting the Kyiv. monument to princess Olhe.

This one from Washington State of Mount Rainier, the highest volcano in the contiguous 48 states.

This one sent from Germany actually depicts the Vltava River in Prague where the sender went on a class trip last year.
This postcard makes me want to plan a trip to Prague just to take a day of leisurely strolling over those bridges, picking up some lunch and eating it in a local park...oh that sounds like heaven.

And last but certainly not least This one from Russia of the Tolzhsky Monastyr on the Volga River.
This postcard was very well writen and informative, the picture was also taken by one of the bloggers on the site listed on the card. check it out at www.yarfor.me

Maybe I should make my own postcard.

San Antonio

Even though I made that list of upcoming trips just a couple days ago the line up has already changed. Now we are planning a trip to San Antonio, Texas at the end of the month. That is right we just found out that my husband will be working in San Antonio from the 15th to the 30th of June and the little guy and I are planning to tag along. Now I can hopefully find someone to watch the dog and the new kitty, if not they will have to come with us and that won't be as much fun, trust me if you are already in charge of a toddler on vacation adding in a dog and cat doesn't really go with the more the merrier rule.
I have been to San Antonio, TX before with my family when I was much younger. I have fond memories of riding on the boats by the riverwalk and visiting the Alamo which really moved me. Also we spent the night at a state park just outside the city. It just happened to be a lunar eclipse the night we camped out there, people were gathered with their telescopes looking at the night sky. I remember that this particular park owned a telescope that had been given to them by Louisiana State University. On top of that all through the park were these little deer. They were all along the path when we were walking back from eclipse viewing they were still there hiding in the fog when we woke up the next morning too.
I don't know all the things we will do while we are in town but I am looking forward to seeing San Antonio again and rediscovering the city with my own family.

Postcrossing

I have found something that I just love. It is postcrossing! What you do is simple. You get 5 address' for people all over the world. Then you send them each a postcard. Each postcard you send has a special tracking number that is entered on the postcrossing website when received. When one of your postcards arrives at it's destination you receive an email letting you know, then you can request another address and send out another postcard. While all this is going on you are also receiving postcards from other people and registering them on the website. I love it because I get to pick out and send postcards to people which is great for me because I love stationary and anything having to do with writing, also I love getting postcards from all over the world. They have such interesting things on them. The map above shows my postcrossing map. The pink lines are tracking the places I have received postcards form and the blue lines are tracking where I have sent postcards.

Budget Travel Giveaway

A few years ago my Mother-in-law got me a gift subscription to Budget Travel magazine. I love it! Each issue is full of great travel tips, stories that make me want to start packing my bags, they always have a road trip complete with route and unique stops along the way which I really appreciate because I love a good road trip. There is almost nothing better than throwing your bag in the car and hitting the open road. This issue has some great road trips and tips specifically for road trips and tons of other stuff.
Another thing I like about Budget Travel is they don't pay anyone to go out on assignment. In other words they don't set up free hotel room stays or pay authors a bunch of money to go to Africa to write a story about being on safari. That way the opinions expressed are generally more honest and unbiased rather than bought. Authors do get paid when they get published in the magazine they just aren't paid before.

Now I want to share all that I love about Budget Travel magazine with one of you. I am going to give away this month's issue (June 2009) to one lucky winner.


How do I enter? Good question. There are 4 ways to enter:
1. Leave a comment on this post, yep that's it just tell me what you think about this post/giveaway and you will get one entry.
2. leave a comment on any post on my other blog, Mom's Not All, leave a comment here telling me you did and which post you commented on or the url to the comment.
2. Twitter about this giveaway, then leave another comment here telling me you did so and where I can find the tweet ie. a url or your twitter id so I can find you. This will get you one more entry.
3. Follow Me and you will get one more entry just leave another comment to let me know they you are a new follower and if you already follow me leave a comment telling me you already do.
4. If you have a blog of your own, spread the word about this giveaway on your blog then leave one more comment here telling me about it and giving me a link to your blog. This one is worth 2 entries.
All in all you can have up to 6 entries into this giveaway bringing you that much closer to your owning this wonderful photo album.

What are the Rules to this Giveaway?
1. An email address is required so leave it with your comment (or else how will you know you won)
2. A winner will be chosen using random.org
3. The winner will be contacted via email and will have 2 days to reply before a new winner is chosen.
4. Open to US address'
5. Ends on 6/8/09 @ 10PM CST. Good Luck!!!

And Now...
Tip Today - Always Leave copies of your itinerary, passport data page and visas with family or friends, so you can be contacted in case of an emergency.

Quote Today - “Too often travel, instead of broadening the mind, merely lengthens the conversation.” - Elizabeth Drew

Dreaming Of - Watching the rain fall in one of those severe Southern thunderstorms.

Travel history

Sharing your history is a great way to build a report and so I have built these maps of where I have been. One of these days I am going to travel to North Dakota, I know I will. There must be some reason to go to North Dakota, right? Maybe we will rent a cabin there some day.






visited 48 states (96%)
Create your own visited map of The United States or jurisdische veraling duits?

I think of myself as a well traveled person but when I look at this world map there is a lot of gray. Unlike with a lot of things in my life right now the gray in this image doesn't make me sad it motivates me to start planning my next big vacation.



visited 5 states (2.22%)
Create your own visited map of The World or another interesting project

Welcome my new Somewhere Else Travel blog. I am very excited about sharing all kinds of travel info with you. I have a hard time explaining to people why I love travel or how much I love it, but I will do my best here on this blog.

I figure a great place to start would be to share with you where I plan to travel next.

Trips we have planned:

• Where: Slade, Kentucky When: August 6 - 10 2009 Why: family reunion
• Where: Portland, Oregon When: August 12 - 26 2009 aprox Why: visit husband's family
• Where: Fort Myers, Florida When: September 24 - 28 2009 Why: my 10 year high school reunion
  

Trips we hope to take in the next year (or so):

• Week at Desire Resort - that would be just me and hubby
• Long weekend train trip - the little guy loves trains so we want to take a short train ride to somewhere close like Houston or Memphis or somewehere like that then spend a night or two in a hotel and return home. We could take a longer train trip but right now the price and time doesn't seem worth it, though I think that would be nice, but not sure it's a good idea to keep a toddler stuck on a train for days at a time.
• Girls trip to Wiscon next year
  

Dream trips:

• Paris
• Going back to Australia with Hubby and the Little Guy
• A cruise with Hubby and the Little Guy
• A Windjammer type cruise where you can work on the vessel while you sail.