Hold a Piece of History

Today I was thinking about how much I love the Petoskey stone. They were always a fun discovery on the shores of the lake where I grew up in northern Michigan. I've never really taken the time to have them tumbled in order to display their makeup and true beauty. Next time I make it to the lake, I want to make sure and grab some of these beauties and maybe go through the trouble of getting them tumbled and shined! I love being surrounded by special things that remind me of things I love. I can't wait to have some gorgeous little Petoskey stones that I can use to decorate our place.

I came across this photo at Ken Scott Photography... check him out.

While looking up a little more info about the amazing stones, I also came across some history of how Petoskey, Michigan got its name. Interesting! I want to learn more about the past of the area where I grew up. Northern Michigan is full of history and great stories... just waiting to be discovered.

Check out this wikipedia article about the Petoskey stone.

I can't wait to get back to the lake, find me a Petoskey stone, and hold a little piece of history in my hands again!

Texas Time Traveling

We didn't really time travel on our trip to Texas, but it sort of felt like it when we stumbled upon the town of Gruene. The town was settled by German settlers in the mid 19th century, and I think my German side felt quite at home for that reason. Setting our sights on Gruene was like a refreshing step back in time.

Beautiful old main street, amazing local shops and restaurants, nice people, and an all around feeling of being transported at least a little bit back in time. Apparently many of the buildings we visited in Gruene were some of the original buildings from the 1800's! Gruene itself is on the National Register of Historic Places thanks to someone who saved it from becoming a ghost town in the 70's. Now how's that for history?! If you want a great small town experience, visit Gruene, Texas! You won't regret it.

I found this image of Gruene's main street on www.texasescapes.com

Our first experiences with the shops and people of Gruene were great. Not only were we surprised to find this little gem of a small town, seemingly located in the middle of nowhere, but the experiences we had there were unforgettable.

The first place we visited was the Gruene Coffee Haus. The girl working the counter commented on my engagement ring and talked to me about her ring too, as if we were quick friends. You don't seem to find too much of that genuine friendliness in many places across the country anymore. The conversation and customer service were a nice touch; not to mention the drinks were delicious! I wish we could have spent every morning there drinking coffee.

Next door to the Coffee Haus was the Fickle Pickle. Nate and I tried a sample of their tasty treats, and both were happily surprised with how yummy they tasted. I mentioned we were from out of town and that it's difficult to pack glass jars in suitcases, and without even asking the man behind the counter told us they ship to anywhere in the country! We just might have to order us some Fickle Pickles. Gruene sure knows how to make people feel special.

This image is from the Gruene Coffee Haus' website @ http://www.gruenecoffee.com/index.htm

To finish off our first day in Gruene, we ate dinner at the Adobe Verde. We drank Dos Equis and ate Mexican food on their covered deck, while musician Mark Monaco (who writes and produces his own music) played live country music. Quintessential Texas! While enjoying our dinner at Adobe Verde, a gigantic thunderstorm kept us 'trapped' on the covered porch for a while. I was actually rather happy about spending a little extra time there.

Something about the night felt very "Sweet Home Alabama" to me, and I got a little teary eyed thinking about how I was born in Texas and a little part of me felt at home there. I didn't live in Texas long as a child, but it was long enough to make me feel like a part of me still belongs there when I visit.

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** Here are some links for more information on Gruene, Texas: **

http://www.gruenetexas.com/

http://thegruenescene.com/

http://www.gruenehall.com/

The Great Water Park Debate

The "Master Blaster" at Schlitterbahn

We recently visited the Schlitterbahn Waterpark Resort in New Braunfels, Texas. Years ago I spotted the Texas water park in the #1 spot on the Travel Channel's best U.S. water parks, and I've been wanting to visit Schlitterbahn ever since! I've always had a minor obsession with amusement parks and water parks, and I was really looking forward to visiting the #1 water park in the country. Amusement Today Magazine voted Schlitterbahn the #1 water park in the country for, I think it was, 12 years in a row. We thought, who the heck is Amusement Today Magazine anyway? Upon returning home, I did a little bit of online research to find that AT Magazine is located in Arlington, TX. That might help explain Schlitterbahn's #1 US rating for so many years, because, to be honest and frank, we were really not that impressed with the water park. Compared to other parks, especially Denver's Water World, Schlitterbahn didn't seem to stack up. I am sure the fact that the weather was sprinkling on us and that it was a chilly 78 degrees (it was forecast to be 95 degrees before we left Colorado) were not enough to make us dislike Schlitterbahn, but I think the hype and our expectations combined with a lack of real thrills left us a bit disappointed.

Have you ever heard of a water coaster? Well, that was one of the things I was most excited about experiencing on our trip to Schlitterbahn. They have a water coaster called the Master Blaster, and it was supposed to be thrilling and one of the most popular rides at the park. No one warned us that you should lift your butt high off the bottom of the raft to avoid the plastic bumps where the water shoots out to propel you up the hills. Would have been nice to know. Nate bruised his tail bone a little bit on their most popular "thrill ride" in the park, the Master Blaster! To top that off, the ride really wasn't all that thrilling. Master Blaster ended up being rather disappointing in our books.

While at Schlitterbahn, we experienced some very poor "special effects" on the Dragon's Revenge and Congo River Expedition rides. We dubbed their Raging River ride the "Not So Raging River", because there were few locations with a thrill and many spots where the current caused you to be stuck in place until someone came along and bumped into you or you freed yourself by standing up off of your inner tube. Not to mention, we ate some of the worst pizza we've ever had for lunch. Things weren't exactly going well for us at Schlitterbahn, so we left a little after lunch time and relaxed in our comfy condo.

Amusement Today magazine may have been a bit biased. I do get that some things are bigger in Texas, but the water park thrills are not one of those things. For goodness sake, Schlitterbahn had signs warning you what the thrill level of each ride is, and they rated their Lava Lagoon hot tub as a moderate thrill. We both laughed at the sign located beside the hot tub, and here is the description for the Lava Lagoon hot tub on Schlitterbahn's website: "Warm, soothing water, relaxing bubbles, and a Volcano fountain make this pool a great way to spend an afternoon." Does that sound like a moderate thrill to you?! It surely was relaxing, but not so thrilling. And who would want to spend their entire afternoon in a big hot tub at a water park? Oy vey!

It you're looking for a great water park, visit Water World just north of Denver! (Typhoon Lagoon at Disney World is pretty great too!) I've been to Water World multiple times, from when I was in 4th grade up until my 20's... and it's fun at every age. After our Schlitterbahn disappointment, we're really looking forward to a Water World visit this summer.

Here's a picture of the Ragin' Colorado River ride at Water World:

Other than our water park blues, the rest of our Texas trip was fantastic! We spent a little time in Austin and accidentally discovered a great little historic town called Gruene (pronounced "green"), Texas. Our rooms were nice in both Austin and New Braunfels. We ate delicious food in lots of local places, and we both want to tube the Comal River next time we visit New Braunfels. We'll be back again, but we'll be better prepared.

More from our Texas trip later....

Winning the Travel Game

I love love love to travel.

Nate and I both have traveled to some great places, and I hope we visit many great places together in the future. I loved visiting Europe and taking in all of the culture and experiences. Nate may have different travel goals than I do, but I think we can come to some agreements when it comes to future travel destinations.

I've accumulated a little list of places I think we could both enjoy....

1. Hawaii

* Nate has been there, and I want to go there. He liked it and would like to go again. Double whammy! We both win... what more could we ask for?

* I have never heard anyone say they didn't like Hawaii.

* I've always wanted to have someone ask me what I did in Hawaii, and then I

would answer most appropriately that "I got lei'd in Hawaii"! Do they even lei people there upon arrival at the airport anymore? (yes, I am a "grown up")

* Luau!! After watching Hawaiians prepare for a luau on the travel channel, I've really wanted to eat roasted pig and traditional Hawaiian foods! Yesssss please. Not to mention I'd love to learn to do the luau... and I made a grass skirt out of yarn once. (I was probably about 8 years old) I've always wanted to wear a coconut top with a grass skirt.

* The sheer beauty of the land, people, ocean, etc...

2. Vals, Switzerland

* I've been there and would love to share it with my husband.

* The thermal baths! Probably one of the most beautiful settings and relaxing experiences I have ever had in my life. (Besides one other place in Switzerland, Verzasca Valley, where I sat next to a river for hours just enjoying the clean air and rushing water sound!)

* You can't really tell from the first picture, but there's an outdoor pool at the thermal baths that has some breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains. One

can't help but feel incredibly blessed to be sitting outside taking in the sun at a location like that.

* Being immersed in the perfect temperature of water in a cave-like setting. Just sounds interesting doesn't it?

* Not to mention that you have to take multiple trains to get to Vals... I love train rides! We would literally be in the middle of nowhere. No crazy distractions or crowded streets. Aaaahh. Are you relaxed yet?

And... last... but not least:

3. Dublin, Ireland

* Culture, history, and beer... oh my! Dublin would be a fantastic spot for two beer and history lovers. Guinness, Guinness!

* Pubs - we both like a chill environment and aren't much into fancy bars or clubs. Pubs are great for laid back beer drinkin' and hanging out!

* Castles! Not to mention the history alone would be amazing to experience, but I bet they have some great haunted castles too.

* Neither of us have been to Ireland, so we could both share the new experience together. Yay! Don't you feel all warm inside now? :)

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So those are three places on my travel wish list that I think both of us would enjoy. We could probably add someplace tropical eventually. We would both love a secluded beach spot too. I'm thinking St. Lucia... or St. John... yeah. There are so many places to visit, and not enough time for all of it! Our travel needs just may change with time, but I think this is a pretty good start.

Escape to Estes Park

A couple of days ago, Nate and I visited Estes Park on an overnight trip. Nate had been there before, but it was my first time visiting the quaint town of Estes Park. A few times I felt like I was "home", because of the touristy nature of Estes Park. We passed multiple ice cream and candy shops. Not to mention, the town felt like an escape from the hustle and bustle of busy city (suburban) life. It was what I expected of a mountain town, and we would both love to return again soon.

Our time in Estes Park was a nice escape from our everyday lives. We spent some time walking the main street that runs through town, and we discovered an operating watermill in the river at the end of town. The running water masked what little bit of noise we heard, making the atmosphere rather peaceful. Beautiful! Multiple times on our walk through town we inhaled deep breathes of the freshest air we had breathed in a while. The town, all of the people walking the streets, the clean air, and the wildlife were all a breath of fresh air to us both.

While visiting Estes Park, we experienced some things we don't usually see back home. We spotted quite a few deer and elk while on a drive up to the entrance of Rocky Mountain National Park. The entrance fee was a little more than we wanted to spend this trip, so we're hoping to visit again some other time and drive into the park when we have more time to explore. Not to mention, the weather was a bit "crisp". And by crisp, I mean it snowed while we were there. I don't consider snow to be the best hiking weather, and we didn't bring our snow shoes (we actually don't own any, but I wouldn't mind having some). Since we weren't exactly prepared for snow, we decided to visit the Stanley Hotel and stay inside for the day. The hotel is on the National Register of Historic Places, so we got our dose of history on our trip to Estes Park too.

Nate and I both loved our visit to the Stanley Hotel. On our drive into the parking lot at the hotel, we saw a group of people obviously on a tour of the property. We both decided, hands down, that we wanted to take the tour too. The earlier tours had filled by the time we got there, so we signed up for a tour about two hours later. We spent some time walking around on our own, and we also enjoyed a little time in the bar next to the lobby of the hotel. I obviously had to drink the "Redrum Punch" and Nate drank a "Shining-inspired" beer brewed by the Estes Park Brewery. The hotel, as we discovered during the tour, has a very rich and interesting history. Not only did the hotel inspire Stephen King to write his book, The Shining, but some scenes from the movie Dumb & Dumber were filmed there too. (If you're a D&D fan, you might recognize the staircase below as the one where Lloyd grabs Mary's ankle and trips her up while they raced up the stairs.) The tour of the Stanley Hotel proved very informative and exciting!

Most importantly, the Stanley Hotel is haunted. We learned quite a bit about the history and hauntings of the hotel on our tour, and we even had a few interesting things occur during the tour....

... more on that tomorrow.

All in all, our trip to Estes Park was everything I had imagined. Nate and I had a relaxing time, but enjoyed ourselves and had fun along the way.

Airport Love

I love airports! That probably sounds weird to most people, but I really love spending time in airports. I love the people watching opportunities, and I love trying to guess where everyone is going. Airports provide hours of entertainment, and those places are always changing and evolving. Fascinating!

Over the years, I've been known to book a flight solely based off of whether or not it included a layover somewhere I hadn't been yet. Layovers mean you may get to see a new place, even if it is just a snippet. It depends on how much of a hurry you're in, but give it a shot if you're not in a rush.

jet contrails over Denver International (DEN)

Many people find my enjoyment of the airport a little odd, but everyone loves a place that others find a little strange. (If you say that you love funeral homes, I'll be a little worried... but to each his own).

Most people don't enjoy being at the airport. They find it stressful and hectic. My advice would be to arrive extra early for your flight, because that really seems to reduce the stress of travel. Not to mention, you may even have time to grab a little food if you get there early enough!

If you're ever early for your flight at Denver International Airport,

grab yourself a delicious breakfast burrito from Mesa Verde in Concourse A.

You can thank me later!

regional airline tarmac at Denver International (DEN)

I can tell you plenty of airport codes from across the country. Call it strange if you must, but I'll embrace my quirky obsession with airports. You never know when you'll need to know that PLN is Pellston, Michigan's airport code or that GSO is Greenboro, North Carolina.

Detroit Metro (DTW) looking like a ghost town at 6am on a Christmas morning

One of my favorite pass-times at the airport is people watching. I've seen some very interesting things at the airport. Wild outfits, celebrities, carry-on animals, and odd human behavior. Flying used to be something that only the rich and glamorous could afford, but today many walks of life travel via airplane. Sometimes you see passengers dressed to the nines, and you also see people looking like they just rolled out of bed (which they might have if it's an early flight). I've observed people walking their tiny "carry-on" dogs through the concourse, and I've watched people walk their children on leashes throughout the hallways. I never understood the child leash thing. Just know that if you love people watching, the airport is a great place to look!

welcome to Las Vegas (LAS)

I enjoy having conversations with people at the airport. I've had numerous conversations with people I've met at airports. Their destinations often intrigue me, their stories of travel interest me, and I almost always have to learn a little about them and their lives. The hustle and bustle of an airport is something that will never bore me! You never know who you might pass by while traveling through an airport.

watching planes takeoff & land from our hotel room at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas

The dynamics of the airport amaze me every time! It overwhelms me just thinking about everything that must happen in order to make the whole thing run smoothly. So many things happen simultaneously, and not always visibly, just for daily operation.

As an airline passenger you've probably experienced delays, and usually there is nothing you can do about it. Being at the mercy of the airlines and mother nature often makes travelers weary. All you can do is show up and go with the flow. If you're not a "go with the flow" kind of person, then flying can wear you out if you let it. Instead, I suggest taking a second to enjoy the little things that make the airport such a fascinating place. It doesn't have to be a stressful experience. I always recommend taking some time to take a look around you.

Safe Travels!