I absolutely love going to North Carolina. So much so, that Jim and I would love to build a retirement home there someday! I spent quite a bit of time as a child driving up and down I-95 on my way in and out of my home state of Florida, and as an adult, I’ve made frequent trips to the mountains in the western part of the state. On several of my trips, we’ve made quick visits to Raleigh, and it’s a great “big” town that feels like a small town. Not a lot of people know about this little big town, so they’re missing out on all that Raleigh, NC has to offer, like the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences, theater, concerts, BugFest, and the state fair. Or how about hiking, and parks, and exploring historic sites?

You can enter to win your very own FREE Raleigh Getaway online, which includes:

• One night accommodations for two at the Courtyard by Marriott Raleigh Crabtree Valley
• $25 gift certificate to Bloomsbury Bistro
• Free VIP admission for two to Rum Runners
• 2 tickets to the North Carolina Theatre
• 2 tickets to the N.C. Museum of Art’s Landscapes from the Age of Impressionism
• 2 tickets to Dinosaurs: Ancient Fossils, New Discoveries at the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences

This fall getaway package gives you the chance to visit a great town at a great time. Crisp, cool air, fall leaves, and the best this little big city has to offer, all in one trip!

I was thinking about vacations today in the shower. (I do most of my good thinking there!) We go on a family vacation at least every year. Sometimes, we go on two family vacations. At some point during the year, my husband and I usually go away with friends, separately. We also take a trip together, without the kids.

I guess what I’m wondering is, do we travel more than the average family?

I know of some families who never take a family road trip, or go to Disney World. I grew up spending at least 2 weeks in the car being driven somewhere by my parents. Sometimes it was trips to New Jersey, to visit my grandmother. Other times, we’d just drive for the sake of seeing new things. We once drove from our home in Florida out to Colorado, and back via a completely different route. I think it’s experiences like those that gave the itch to travel and see new things, and to expose my kids to as much of the world as I can. It’s fun to go to the same places every year, and do the same things, but I wouldn’t want that to be my only vacation.

How about you?

I feel like a broken record at times, repeating to myself, I will get to Hawaii someday, I will get to Hawaii someday! In the meantime, I’m learning all that I possibly can about the state, and the islands that make up Hawaii, so that I can be prepared when I do get there. I recently learned about an area called the Napali coast, which is located on the northwest shore of the island called Kauai. There aren’t any roads in the area, which consists mainly of sheer cliffs, diving into the Pacific, so the best way to see this area is by boat, or on foot. It’s not a trip for someone who wishes to sit comfortably in a car! The beautiful and unique coastline is accessible via a trail that is 11 miles long, starting at Ke`e Beach, and ending at Kalalau Valley.

Did you know you can there are tours in the area offering Kauai whale watching? Each year, the Hawaiian Humpback whale migrates from Alaska to Hawaii, and you can get up close and personal with these gentle giants on a boat tour with Captain Andy. If whale watching isn’t your thing, you can venture out on one of these Kauai snorkeling tours, where you’ll see coral, sea turtles, tropical fish, and maybe find some buried treasure,

Whether you want to go, go, go, or sit on a beach and enjoy the view, Hawaii is the place to be!

This is a sponsored review.

My next big trip isn’t taking me very far. In just a few weeks, I’ll be heading to Clearwater, Fl to participate in the 3-Day Walk For Breast Cancer, a 60 mile walk. I’ll be camping for 2 nights, but for the night before the event, my teammates and I have booked a room at one of the hotels in Sand Key. It should be interesting to see the area I’ve lived in my whole life on foot!

I went on my first cruise when I was 9, and my second when I was 11. I didn’t have the chance to cruise again until the year 2000, when I finally talked my husband into a cruise. Can you believe that he had to be talked into it? He thought he’d be bored! Once he got on board, it was a completely different story though, and we’ve been on several cruises since, as a couple and with the family. I love cruising because of the options you have. You can go almost anywhere on a cruise, from the Caribbean, to Alaska, to ports of call in Europe and Asia. While you’re getting to your destination, you can eat, drink, dance, and enjoy all sorts of new experiences. On our various cruises, we’ve seen magicians, participated in a wine tasting class, and played plenty of Bingo and other games.

Due to the popularity of cruises, and all of the options available to travelers, there’s a lot of competition between travel agencies and travel websites for a piece of the cruise market. I prefer shopping for cruises at a site that specializes in cruises, like DirectLineCruises.com - I prefer knowing that my travel website knows the cruise industry inside and out! Too many travel agencies try to handle too much, and your vacation plans suffer. When you book with a company like DirectLineCruises.com, you can rest assured knowing that they know their stuff, and can get you great deals on every type of cruise, from budget offerings to premium and luxury lines. Two of the premier cruise companies they work with are Celebrity Cruises and
Azamara Cruises. They’re known for their wonderful cuisine and 5 start accommodations. If you want to be pampered and dazzled on your next cruise vacation, either of those cruise lines can get the job done!

This is a sponsored review.

I had the opportunity to fly JetBlue this month, and they may be my new favorite airline. I don’t expect much from the airlines I fly, other than cheap prices, on time flights, and free peanuts. JetBlue exceeded my every expectation, and I will use their airline again, and as often as possible, even if it costs me a little more to do so!

Here’s why:

• 1. On time flights - The flights I was on left on time, and arrived early. I know that delays can’t often be helped, but for some airlines, delays are a way of life.
• 2. A TV at every seat - I don’t know about you, but it irritates me that movies are typically only offered on super long cross country flights. A 2 or 3 hour flight should definitely have a movie. JetBlue has decided that regardless of the flight length, not only do you get your choice of one of 3 or 4 movies, but you can watch 30+ channels of DirecTV at your seat for free. On the way to Boston, the DirecTV signal wasn’t working properly, and the flight attendants turned on the movies for free. (Normally, the TV is free, but the movies are $5 each.) On my way home, I watched several episodes of Project Runway on Bravo and King of the Hill on FOX. If TV isn’t your thing, you can enjoy XM Radio instead. It definitely made the time pass by quickly.
• 3. Great snacks - while most airlines pass out free peanuts and a soda, JetBlue offered a choice of 5 or 6 different snacks, like chips, cookies, and cashews. Other airlines charge you $5 for a few of those things, and call it a snack pack. JetBlue gave me as many free snacks as I wanted, and 3 refills on my Coke, without giving me an attitude about it!
• 4. Clean, spacious seating - JetBlue offers tons of leg room. I’m 5 foot 8, but most of my heigh is in my legs. I’m always cramped and uncomfortable on flights. When I checked in online and selected my seats, JetBlue showed me which seats had the most legroom. I had 34 inches of pitch and I have never been more comfortable on a flight. The plane was very clean and in great condition as well. The seats looked like new!
• 5. Added bonus - on my way back home, I attempted to use the curbside check in for JetBlue at Logan Airport. The attendant noticed that I was flying to Tampa with a connection through JFK and mentioned there was a direct flight leaving for Tampa in 45 minutes, and that I should try to get on it. She directed me inside where a JetBlue rep cheerfully accommodated my request, which got me home 3 hours early and saved me sitting in JFK for an hour!

Have you ever flown JetBlue? What did you think?

With only 2 months until our trip to Las Vegas, I’m starting to take a look at some activities that Jim and I can do during our stay there, other than gamble. We’ve discussed renting a car and driving to the Grand Canyon, and Jim wants to take me to The Ghost Bar and the “old strip”. After a while though, I know I’ll be over bars and slots and the nightlife. After about 3 days, I’ll need some downtime. On of the activities I enjoy doing on vacation is horseback riding. We’ve been on trails in New Mexico, Tennessee, and most recently, North Carolina. Most of those have been short 1 or 2 hour trail rides, but this site I found with information on horseback riding in Las Vegas has 8 hour tours that include a meal, and even an overnight tour that allows you to sleep under the stars. I absolutely love the idea of riding a horse out in the country for a few hours, and seeing a side of Vegas that doesn’t have a slot machine or showgirl as far as the eye can see.

The Jesse James Sunset BBQ dinner ride in particular sounds like it’s for me - a long sunset ride followed by a steak dinner. A chance to see the Nevada desert, cowboys, and maybe even some varmits! This isn’t just a great activity for couples, but for families, business groups - even the locals can enjoy this.

Back in July, I had the opportunity to visit Pittsburgh for 2 nights due to a business event I needed to attend. It was my first experience seeing Pittsburgh, and this is one city that doesn’t get enough credit! My friend Marisa was nice enough to pick me up at the airport, and we cruised through the rolling hills outside town, past the Ikea where I’ve shopped with Sindy and into the tunnel. Coming out of the tunnel, you’ve got a beautiful view of the rivers and downtown, and bridges as far as the eye can see. Someone described this to me as “Pittsburgh’s front door” and I agree!

Price: I paid $200 a night for this hotel. Actually, my company paid. Based on the location of my event and not having my own car, I needed to be able to walk to PNC Park, and this hotel fit the bill.

Location: Marisa quickly navigated through town and we drove over the Sixth Street Bridge to the North Shore area, where we quickly located the Springhill Suites North Shore and checked in. The hotel is located on a lovely quiet street just north of PNC Park - literally, a block away. While there are bars and restaurants and pubs on the street, there wasn’t much traffic and it was a quiet area.

Cleanliness: Everything was new, or looked new, from the carpet to the wallpaper to the furniture. The room was very clean, as were the common areas.

Staff: The staff was quick to check me in and helpful upon check out. Other than that, I didn’t interact with them too often.

Amenities: The hotel has an indoor pool and hot tub which I didn’t take advantage of, as well as a free continental breakfast. The hotel is also connected to a restaurant, which made for each access for dinner each night.

Comfort: I checked in and found my room to be larger than a standard room, due to being next to the elevators. Apparently rooms on either side of the elevator shaft end up with some extra square footage, and I had a great view of the city. The room featured a small living room with wet bar and desk, a large soaking tub, an even larger bathroom with a regular tub and shower, and huge, plush king bed. One of the reasons I love chains like this is that you won’t find low thread count sheets and those nasty polyester bedspreads. The sheets, pillow, and crisp white duvet were amazing.

Here’s a picture of that nice big kind sized bed:

And the soaking tub:

The living room and work space, as seen from the bedroom area:

A view from the door into the suite:

My very own jacuzzi:

Overall rank: On a scale of 1 to 10, the SpringHill Suites Pittsburgh North Shore receives a 10!

After visiting Montreal this summer, my son has decided that our next big family vacation should be to Paris. Apparently he was quite taken with the language and the croissants. I’m all for another trip to Paris - Jim and I went in 1995 together, and it was just a quick 3 night stay. I was 5 months pregnant and miserable in the heat and humidity, so I’d like to take another trip back where we can take our time and enjoy the city a bit more.

Having been to the city one, I know exactly where I’d like to stay, should we return, and it’s a charming area down a side street, within walking distance from the Champs Elysees and the Arc de Triomphe. You can find reasonable priced Paris hotels if you’re willing to make a few small concessions, like perhaps going without air conditioning, or an elevator, or sharing a bathroom with other travelers. (Our room had a/c, but it died during our stay!) Otherwise, you’ll probably find that hotels with larger rooms and more amenities run closer to $150 - $200 USD. It’s an expensive city to eat in as well, so plan accordingly - when you see a small grocery store near your hotel, buy food for lunch and breakfast there. Dinner can easily run $100 USD a night!

The listings at HotelClub.com offer a range of hotels in Paris, from the budget to the high end. Each offers reviews from other travelers, so you can see for yourself what the pros and cons of each location and hotel offer. Landmarks are listed with each hotel, so it’s easy to determine where your hotel is for easy access to sightseeing.

I’m leaving tomorrow, and once again - I’m waiting til the last minute to pack! Tomorrow, in addition to working til 5pm, I have to pack up all my things AND make a trip to the dry cleaner to pick up some pants that needed to be hemmed. I won’t get in to Boston til 10:30, and doubt that I’ll be checked into my hotel until midnight, and I’ve got to be up early on Wednesday for meetings.

I’m seeing a nap in my future tomorrow…hopefully Jet Blue has comfy seats. I’ve never flown them before - aren’t they the ones with the TV screens on the back of each seat? Sounds like my kind of airline!