We spent three nights in a beautiful bed and breakfast in thePico Bonito National Park.La Villa de Soledad is a perfect retreat and at just $63 a night for room and breakfast it is a real bargain. 

For something entirely different we moved to the Indura Beach Resort a Hilton property, which was quite spectacular and worthy of 5 starts. Two nights here at $118 plus tax was a steal.
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Finally our last night was spent at the Intercontinental by the airport. Prices here were higher at $170 but the hotel was impressive with an incredible breakfast buffet and probably the best coffee I have ever tasted.

​The reason I fell in love with this place was the calm, tranquil beach. Yes, it’s a pebble beach but that in itself has many advantages. The water of the Aegean Sea is crystal clear and so very refreshing. The beach here is typically quiet with a few Italian, Greek and German tourists soaking up the sun. I loved that you can rent an umbrella and 2 lounges for 7 euro for the whole day. Even better you can stroll the 20 yards from your lounger to the outdoor restaurant for lunch or light refreshments then stroll back for a nap. I spent two days at this beach and it was probably the most relaxing days I had all year. Loved it!!!

Every year ,every teacher, every where is on countdown to that magical time of year- Spring Break! Ever since our children were small we have indulged ourselves with a family trip to the Texas coast. Our children are grown now with children of their own and we have been blessed to continue the tradition. 
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This year we chose Surfside, Texas as our destination. Surfside is a small town not far from Galveston and less than 2 hours from Houston. It is actually an historical site – the place where Stephen F. Austin first arrived in Texas and where in 1832 the First Battle of Texas was fought.
 I love this small town and all it has to offer. Originally I booked a house with VRBO but after a dispute plans changed and we were fortunate enough to get a perfect family friendly home through Airbnb. Find out about all of our adventures and read to the end of the blog to find out why you should never book with Home Away or VRBO 

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Although this hotel had great reviews we just weren’t expecting this Hampton Inn to offer so much, if you are in Key Largo stay here.
One of the things we had hoped to do while on the Keys was kayak .Unfortunately because of Irma all the kayak businesses were in the process of re-establishing due to so much damage. Even the state parks were partially closed and there was not a kayak to be had. We were pleasantly surprise to find that the Hampton had its own private beach with kayaks for rent and so much more. We spent a few hours kayaking then lazing on the beach watching the manatee that came so very close and then we  watched a most beautiful sunset before we headed out for dinner. The next morning we were totally entertained by the enormous lizards who clearly know the exact times for breakfast. This turned out to be a really great place to end our time on the Keys.
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 On November 3rd, 2017 we celebrated 30 years of marriage. We had determined that a short road trip was our only option as we were on a tight schedule in the middle of the school year. My plans for the trip began as soon as we returned from our summer road trip through Washington and Oregon. But as the saying goes “the best laid plans”- certainly need to be flexible when you travel!
Hurricane Irma with all its force hit the Keys in September; we all saw the  utter devastation that was left in its wake. After little debate we decided to continue with our plans given the fact our tourist dollars could do more good there than any place else we might choose.
It was a good decision. Our 4 day road trip was incredible. Yes, we saw unbelievable beauty juxtaposed with unthinkable damage but wherever we went we were welcomed and thanked and we witnessed true resilience and strength. Conch strength!

We stayed a block from the boardwalk so although we arrived at 9:00pm we were still able to walk on the boardwalk and have dinner and drinks watching the waves. The next morning we were up for an early start but we first took a walk on the boardwalk. I fell in love with this beach and the boardwalk. No doubt it was the time of year but the weather was beautiful and the beach quiet. Locals were out and about bike riding or walking dogs’. Although our time there was very short I loved it and would love to really explore the area another time but for now the Keys were calling us. 

On one of my trips to the UK I travelled north with my mother and sister-in-law. It was her first visit to the UK and we wanted her to see a little of what Scotland has to offer. We were only there for a few days but  Dornoch Beach, the town of Dornoch and some of the places we visited  in the surrounding area were quite spectacular. My sister-in-law fell in love with Scotland as will you if you have the opportunity to visit.

​This last trip for 2017 was a spur of the moment, “My husband doesn’t know what to get me for Christmas trip. “
Literally, I called Gene after he had been missing in action in search of Christmas gifts for over 6 hours ………..of course I could feel his pain I could hear his pain, so to ease the pain I said ,” Why don’t we go to the beach  for a couple of days for my gift?” 

The sigh of relief was palpable even through the phone, his anxiety lifted and we packed our bags. Off we  went to the beach for 2 days.

Turned out to be a great trip.

If you ever get the chance to  visit the Gulf Coast of Texas in the winter even if it’s only for 2 days-DO IT , it's just a beautiful time of year.

​If you go I  can pretty much guarantee you some pleasantly, peaceful empty beaches. Here are a few highlights and places I recommend but have fun exploring the area for yourself.