It’s been a Long Winter

Posted on February 21, 2014February 21, 2014 by Dusty Roads | 4 Comments

I don’t mean to complain but Thursday’s post was the view after the storm last weekend but then we got another one on Tuesday and another one (minor) on Wednesday. It’s been like that all winter. Pictures of snow storms are all starting to look alike.

Yes I know there are places that get a lot more snow and much colder temperatures than Massachusetts but people that live there expect to be snow bound for 6 months of the year. A good big blizzard or “nor’easter is fun… now and then. But I’m getting weary. I’m tired of searching for a spot of color in a monochromatic world.

Even the blue skies after a storm have a kind of diluted color. Usually the snow sparkles and the sky gets such a deep blue it hurts your eyes, but not this year. This year the white is without the sparkle and the sky is a light blue, if it’s blue at all. We’ve had a lot of just plain gray days. It feels like the world is in black and white.

It’s depressing, at least to me. I wonder if this is how it feels to live in the “North Country” where there’s 6 months of darkness. I couldn’t do that.

People say this is New England…It snows…. but not like this. Skiers and snowboarders are having a great time. I’m glad for you! But not for me, oh no, not for me. 🙁

I see postings on Facebook telling people to stop complaining or if they don’t like it to move. I’m at the point I wish I could move to someplace with sun and warm weather. A tropical island come to mind. But my job is here and my condo is here (and upside down in value) so I don’t think a move is in the cards.

Guess I’ll just have to buck up. We should be on the downside and heading toward spring. March is only 2 weeks away. Maybe there is an end in sight?

Doo Doo Doo Looking Out My Back Door

Posted on February 20, 2014February 20, 2014 by Dusty Roads | 2 Comments

Remember this one? Creedence Clearwater Revival? The lyrics go

Just got home from Illinois, lock the front door, oh boy!
Got to sit down, take a rest on the porch.
Imagination sets in, pretty soon I’m singing,

Doo, doo, doo, Looking out my back door….

Well here’s the view from my back door (actually my front door) after the weekend blizzard.

Lately my life is just a song! 🙂

Photo of the Week ~ 7

Posted on February 19, 2014February 19, 2014 by Dusty Roads

The week 7 tallies are in. The Photo of the Week with the most hits, likes, shares and/or comments is Winter Bridges with a total of 25 points.

Don’t forget you can let your choices be known by visiting, liking or commenting at www. dustyroadsphotos.com

The Birthday Cake was shared 21 times on this web site but only 8 times on www.dustyroadsphotos.com . The shares aren’t counted from this website so be sure you share on the correct one to get your vote counted. Thanks to all who went to the companion site and got counted. 🙂

To Order prints click here: http://dustyroadsphotos.zenfolio.com/p161572686/hcb28353#hcb28353

Kansas

Posted on February 18, 2014February 18, 2014 by Dusty Roads | 4 Comments

Colorado is still in the lead. Idaho is on hold for an RV vacation and Indiana is “calling me” but I don’t think the time share is the way to go there either. So next up on the list is Kansas.

The 1 timeshare exchange in Kansas is in Kansas City and here I run into a dilemma. I have never had a bad experience at any time share exchange. To be in the exchange program resorts are inspected and have to meet pretty high standards. I have seen resorts get dropped if they aren’t up to par. So I was kind of surprised when I read the reviews of the resort in Kansas City.

The resort is Great Wolfe Lodge. It’s apparently a chain as googling Great Wolf Lodge brought up locations in the Pocono’s, Wisconsin and Washington. The big thing with the Great Wolf Lodge chain is that it’s an indoor water park as well as a resort/hotel. That means it will be very family orientated. That might not be the best choice for a single traveler but I could deal with it.

What I can’t deal with is bugs, specifically bed bugs. Trip advisor had quite a few comments about the cleanliness of the rooms and that there were bed bugs. The Lodge manager did reply saying issues like that are taken seriously and that they have exterminators come out and they take the rooms out of service until the are sure they have the infestation under control. But it made me nervous. Especially since there was more than one comment regarding the bed bug issue.

I think I will put Kansas City on the back burner for now. Maybe next year if they are still in the directory.

Have any of you stayed there? What was your experience like?

Metamora

Posted on February 17, 2014February 17, 2014 by Dusty Roads | 2 Comments

Whether I go to Indiana this year or another year, I will get there and now I have even more reason to go. One of the reasons I post my thoughts on my various vacation plans is because I get such great suggestions from you, my readers. Case in point, one of the comments on my Indiana post suggested including a visit to Metamora.

I will freely admit that I had never heard of Metamora and maybe that’s not so unusual because on the home page of it’s website , Metamora is described as Indiana’s Best Kept Secret.

I love hidden gems. We’ve had such good luck finding them in our travels, my sister and me. Probably due to my sister’s good attitude… we’re not lost, we’re sight- seeing.

Anyway Metamora is described as a Canal Town. Having grown up near the Erie Canal I know what that means but as far as I know we don’t have any horse or mule drawn canal boats anymore on the Erie. Well Metamora does. Isn’t that cool? I wonder if we can ride on one?

They have a Grist Mill too. We have one in Plymouth and they are great photo ops.

You know what else they have? A train ride. That’s always a big hit on my trips. I love taking vintage train rides.

And they have a covered bridge but it covers an aqueduct. Metamora has the only wood aqueduct still in service in this country. It was built to carry the canal 16 feet above the Duck Creek.

Now this kind of stuff gets me excited for vacation. The only problem is that it’s too far from the timeshare location. I would need to arrange to stay in a local Bed and Breakfast or motel. Not that that’s a bad thing, just that it changes the cost of the vacation a bit.