How many States Have You Visited?

Posted on September 10, 2013September 10, 2013 by Dusty Roads

Here I am in a traveling “lull”. I’ve been so busy getting acclimated to my new job and my new schedule that vacations and travel haven’t been “TOM” (top of mind). Even now that I’m getting settled in I’m still figuring out the finances. There were bills that I didn’t have before that I now have to pay, bills that I did have that have gone away, bills that were “automatically deducted” that I now have to remember to pay and so on. Plus a big change is that there is no overtime with my new job. I’m earning pretty close to the same hourly rate but a lot of my “fun” money was what I earned by working “OT”.

So while I figure out what I can spend on travel and prepare for next year’s vacation I’ve been playing a little game with myself. There’s a survey/game that goes around Facebook every now and then. It lists all the states and you click on the ones you’ve been to and it gives you a “traveler’s rating” or some such thing. Of course most of the people I know are counting states their plane landed in even if they never got off the plane. I don’t think that’s really the intention but I could be wrong.

Back when I started traveling for fun I thought it might be nice to spend a week in every state. That means 50 weeks of vacation. Of course I would have to “double up” a few years because I doubt if I have 50 years left to take one week a year. I thought I’d like to sell my condo and buy an RV and travel the US that way but the downturn in Real Estate values put a damper on that plan, at least for now.

But I am not going to give up. I met a couple whose goal was to visit every National Park once they retired and they did it. Since there are about 388 National Parks in the U. S. it makes visiting each state sound like a measly goal.

So back to the little game I’ve been playing with myself…I’m trying to cross states off my list but I never seem to get very far before I get side tracked.

How many states have you been to? Can you make a list?

Mayor Stubbs Update

Posted on September 9, 2013September 9, 2013 by Dusty Roads

Stubbs Mayor Cat

Dr. Lehman, my amazing doctor through this ordeal, has released some information on my condition which can be found below. I am so thankful for the treatment I’ve received at BLSVH. I also thank each of you for your get well wishes and the cards & donations you’ve sent to Talkeetna. I’m one blessed Mayor.
Love, Stubbs
http://blog.blsvh.com/2013/09/05/stubbs-cat-mayors-talkeetna-trauma-update/

Stubbs the Cat, “Mayor of Talkeetna” trauma update – Canis Medicus: BLSVH Animal Blog

blog.blsvh.com

Stubbs update

Arm Chair Traveler

Posted on September 9, 2013September 9, 2013 by Dusty Roads

There’s a magazine that’s always on the rack by the check out counter in most of the grocery stores in my area. It’s called Woman’s World and it has lots of short articles crammed into a little publication.

It includes things like short fiction, household tips, decorating, cooking tips and recipes, crafts…always the latest diet…health tips and I could go on. But the one department I always check is the Armchair Traveler. It’s always a 2 page spread with pictures highlighting someplace you might like to go.

If it sounds like someplace I’d like to go I pull out the 2 pages. I have a whole file full but they do come in handy. When I planned my trip to Oahu they had just had an Armchair Traveler about Oahu. It helped pin down the things we wanted to see.

I thought of that trip and our Big Island Adventure when I opened this week’s issue as once again, Hawaii was the featured location, this time the 2 smallest Hawaiian Islands, Molokai and Lanai.

I haven’t thought much about Lanai but I do want to go to Maui and planned to include a side trip to Molokai at that time. I’ve heard that Molokai has great snorkeling and scuba diving and I am interested in that.

According to the article Molokai has a few other things going for it like the highest sea cliffs in the world!

Lanai is the smallest island and is described as tranquil and romantic. It’s home to two Four Season’s Resorts and the historic Hotel Lanai. The Garden of the Gods, a surreal lunar-like landscape, is located on Lanai.

The article lists beaches and waterfalls for a tourist’s pleasure and wraps up with the weekly “Armchair Traveler” Cocktail, this week it’s a Cucumber Lavender Vo-jito. This drink is popular at the Four Seasons Resort Lanai at Manele Bay.

I will share it with you but with one disclaimer…I haven’t tried it. If any of you do, let me know if you like it 🙂

5 fresh mint leaves
1 1/2 Tbs. lime juice
1 1/2 Tbs. lavender syrup *
Ice Cubes
3 Tbs. cucumber flavored vodka
club soda
additional mint for garnish
Lime Slices (optional)

Place mint in tall glass; using end of wooden spoon , crush mint. Add lime juice, lavender syrup, and ice cubes. Pour vodka over ice; stir. Top off with club soda. Garnish with mint and lime slices, if desired. Serves 1

*To make syrup, bring !/2 cup water and 1/2 cup if sugar to boil; stir until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat. Stir in 2 Tbs. culinary lavender; let stand until cool. Strain into jar; cover and store in refrigerator.

With a Cucumber Lavender Vo-jito in hand, some Hawaiian tunes on the I-Pod you’re ready to drift away in you’re mind. Imagine the gentle breezes, the smell of the sea and you are “Armchair Traveling”. The next best thing to being there!

Not Fall Yet!

Posted on September 8, 2013September 8, 2013 by Dusty Roads

I know I did a post on Meteorological Fall but fall, as the rest of us know it, isn’t until September 22.

The Red Sox are still playing, even beating the dreaded Yankees. But mostly the talk is about football and tailgating , apple picking and leaf peeping.

Yankee Magazine, Outdoor Photographer, Adirondack Life and National Geographic’s Traveler magazine all have top drives for seeing foliage or articles on how to take the best pictures and capture the colors. (You mean there’s more to it than luck!?) I’m sure there are others, I just happen to subscribe to these. 🙂

My Southeastern AAA publication even got into the spirit of it even if the did concentrate more on the Hudson River Valley than New England.

The Adirondack Balloon Festival is coming up, another sure sign of fall.

We had fall-like weather the last few days with evening temps getting down to the 40’s but daytime was nice, sunny and mid-70’s even low 80’s in some places. No doubt about it, the Wheel of Time keeps turning and the air is starting to have a touch of fall. My allergies can swear to it as the Rag Weed crop was a bumper one this year thanks to all the rain. I’ll suffer until the first frost but please don’t hurry here, Jack. I’ll put up with the runny , itchy eyes and sneezes .