went to hartwick pines .. the old growth forest .. no hosta ... plus canoeing .. then across MI to sleeping bear dunes .. more sand.. no hosta ... then the SUPER SECRET FINALE at great wolf waterpark ... 4 days of camping filth.. and a good steam cleaning before i brought my mud puppies home ... no hosta .. google all for further explanations ...

ken

We plan to go to a condo in the woods around Gatlinburg next month! We're meeting hubby's brother
and family there, who are coming from Florida! We'll be there for about a week! I'd rather stay home! :o)

Okay, I'd rather stay home and have them come HERE!! I really would love to see them! SIL and are very close! :o)

I just love our yard and new octagonal deck so much, that I hate to leave it at all!!

We'll be going to Wisconsin in Sept and two weeks in Florida in January.
Pam

Oh how neat Ken, did the kids like camping? I'll bet they thought they were in heaven!

Janice TN is a great place for a vacation, I've been to Gatlinburg...my sister lived in Hendersonville for some years. The TN landscape reminds me of NJ in many ways....super green.

Pam, have a great time! Where do you go in Wisconsin? I've always wanted to visit, but wouldn't know where to start. I have an aunt in Florida, lush and lovely.

Donna

I spent a week in March, with my daughter and son-in-law. Drive from MN to Tulsa OK just ahead of a blizzard, then across southern New Mexico, spent a night in Vegas, and the rest of the time in Arizona. We visited three big dams (Hoover was the most well known, of course), a slot canyon (Antelope) and did lots of hiking! We had a GREAT Time!

Then a week with my husband at Trail's End Lodge on Clearwater lake in southern Ontario, just fishing, eating well, and relaxing.

I don't generally like using up two thirds of my vactation time so early in the year, but both were great vacations.

Here is a link that might be useful: Antelope Canyon

I have a couple more batches of photos from Arizona online, so want to share them too.

Here is a link that might be useful: Sedona

Kitt Peak National Observatory

Here is a link that might be useful: Kitt Peak

Ken, I have been to Hartwick Pines... couple of years ago when we were camping in Harrisville, MI (on Lake Huron) we made the trek to Hartwick Pines. I have never seen such beautiful old growth! Truly fantastic. And you're right, there's no hostas there.

Janice, I LOVE Gatlinburg. My folks used to take the family there for vacations when I was a kid, and hubby and I took our honeymoon there almost 4 years ago! It was October for the honeymoon, and the trees were just starting to turn to their fall colors, it was magnificent. We have been hoping to get back there for an anniversary, but haven't made it yet. Now with "baby Buff" on the way, not sure when we'll get another vacation...

Which leads me to the vacation hubby and I took at the very end of June... We went to New York City for a "long weekend." Neither of us had ever been there, and hubby (being a huge baseball fan) wanted to see Yankee Stadium (before it gets torn down in a few years.) So I cashed in my frequent flyer miles (guess all those work trips paid off?) and we made the trek. Got to see Central Park, Times Square, Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, Wall Street, Ground Zero, Macy's, and of course, we went to a Yankee's game. It was a great trip, lots of walking, which was somewhat difficult for a pregnant girl, but I managed to keep up... We called the trip our "babymoon" since it will likely be our last trip for quite a while once the baby arrives. Got some great pictures from the trip too...

Buff

Vacation. What's that? I've had overlaping company since April. Today is my second day without a guest. There are so many things to catch up on in the garden but we finally have hot weather so I have to quit about one and start again when it get's cool. I've been working at this and that until nine thirty when it gets too dark to see. I do love everyone who's been here and they've been a great help. You can't just ignore them though and keep at a project. The next bunch arrive in a week or so and later in August my father in law will be moving here while he waits to get into an assisted living place. I have to admit we are not much for vacations since we've never really had one in 30 years of marriage. Everyone comes here. We can sit around the pool and pretend we are at a hotel with no other people.

Janice, what's this octagonal deck and where are the pictures???

No vacation here either. I really envy anyone that gets to go on vacations.
Our last vacation was in 1981 when we went to the Ozarks. It was fun and that was the last time hubby had a job that allowed him vacation time. :-(

Now we just take day trips whenever we hear of something we want to do on a weekend and spend lots of time at our local state park where we are volunteer trail guides. So we are helping other people enjoy their vacatiions, lol!

Janet

We've taken a couple of trips this year. Spent spring break in St Augustine - had a ball. The weather was perfect and it was a great time to get away from mud season here in PA.

We spent 4th of July week in Williamsburg. I found a great little family run nursery and bought a few mementos (no hostas though, they didn't have much of a selection). The kids loved Busch Gardens and Water Country, I loved dining at The Trellis and finding some great little M&P type restaurants.

We are probably going to Maine for a week in August (or a long weekend in Sept) still up in the air. That is nice beause it is going home for me.

Other than that, we have a few other long weekends planned. DH is taking me to NYC for a grown-up getaway, we are taking the kids for a weekend trip to Washington DC and another long weekend to Hershey. We also may squeeze a long weekend in to go to Newport, but that may have to wait until spring since we are running out of weekends LOL!

Oh yea, and we are going to Orlando to see UNiversal Studios in Feb over Presidents Day, staying for a week.

Alexa

Alexa,

Do you recall the name or location of the nursey in Wmsburg? DD attends school in Newport News so I've been known to make the occasional side trip off I64 for amusement.

Found a good sized Liberty for $15 at a small nursery in NN while DD was taking her last final in May :-)

Becky