Thursday and it's sunny in the garden with The Coffee Time Crew

Let’s do Travel for Thursday in the garden. Welcome back everyone. As always grab your favorite drink and some food from the table and settle into a chair or pull up some grass to curl up on. This week we’re visiting with the Coffee Time Review crew.

Mary: One of my favorite things to do, travel.  Do you love to travel? If so, why? And if not, why?

Karenne:  When I was younger I used to love….road trips.  Now I won’t get on a plane to save my life.  I still have visions of September 11th and the twin towers.  I do not know if I will ever get over that one.  Still breaks my heart. 

Mary: I know exactly what you mean, Karenne, I remember exactly what I was doing at work when it all started to be announced. What a nightmare. I still travel though, and I love New York. I wished I’d gone earlier so I could have seen the Twin Towers. Now all I’ve seen is ground zero.

AzGaye: I enjoy going places and don’t even mind road trip by myself in my Mazda pickup “Red Hot Mama” (inside joke about that) but after about a week I get antsy to be home, especially if I have not taken my dog with me!  I love camping out in the mountains, on the beach, or in the desert in the winter and going exploring to old mining camps and ghost towns and following those 4-wheel drive tracks in the southwest! I enjoy the mountains like the Rockies in the summer but I am totally not a snow bunny! Love to get up high and take in the view though.

I have really not been out of the USA and I wish I could afford to go! I would love to visit the British Isles—but not on an organized tour so I could go where and when I wanted to and see the land of my ancestors. Australia fascinates me and maybe the Serengeti  in Africa for the animals and the Himalayas –they are just such awesome mountains and I love mountains. Maybe even the area in the middle east that is all torn up in wars now—I know it is not safe to go there anymore but it is interesting as the so called cradle of civilization and also a mountainous desert region which I feel a strong attachment toward. Maybe Spain too as I am interested in their culture and its impact on the new world, at least the part where I’ve lived a lot.

Venus: I enjoy travel as long as my creature comforts are taken care of. I refuse to go anywhere without proper indoor plumbing ;-)

Mary: ‘cuse me again. But I’m so with you about the indoor plumbing!

Kimberly: I’m with you there. No indoor plumbing? Not a vacation to me.

Venus: Although I do like to travel as I mentioned earlier in the week I love where I live. Here in Southern Ontario there are so many things to see and do that I feel as if I am spoiled. We have cottage country and the great lakes, we have Niagara Falls and the wine region. We have fantastic festivals and activities for any type of season. I truly am blessed to live in such a fantastic province.

Kimberly: I don’t think you can call what we do traveling. It’s more like moving. (wink) But we use my husband’s job as a way to see this beautiful country we live in. We get to really know the areas because we live there and absorb the cultures found in various states. I’d love to return to Pennsylvania.  It is just such a beautiful place. The people are friendly and really make you feel like you’ve come home. The landscape is breath-taking. We have been to Mexico (which I loved). Visiting my mom in Canada would be nice again, too. I could spend an entire afternoon just watching Niagara Falls.

Danielle: I love to travel. I don’t really have a favorite destination. What I do have is a favorite travelling memory. When we used to travel as kids, my dad would drive at night. He did this for the peace and quiet. With three kids in the back it was the best solution. I remember waking up to find my dad had parked in a truck stop to catch some zs. Anyway, waking up I could smell the diesel and truck stop food. There is nothing like eating breakfast at a truck stop. They always seemed to have the best foods. Sigh…

Maura:  I enjoy traveling and would more often if I didn’t have three dogs.  I would love to go back to Ireland.

Hollie: I’m a bit of a home girl at heart we don’t, travel often. Although we often camp in (muddy) fields at autograss meetings ~ a form of off road motorsport. We mainly watch although I met my husband through the sport and my daughter is following in her parent’s footsteps by learning to marshal as well as racing on the odd occasion. 

Lisa: I love, love, love to travel! My favorite place in the U.S. is definitely New Orleans. I loved it so much I ended up living there for five years!
Amy R: I do like traveling, but I haven’t done much because I am afraid to fly. Eeep. The furthest I’ve traveled would be the Bahamas on my honeymoon.
Brenda:  I used to like to travel.  Now, advanced age makes the thought of an airplane ride just plain painful.  I did get lots of travel in while in the Army.  Europe is beautiful.

Betty: I’m something of a nervous traveler. I rarely sleep well the night before a big trip and often have dreams about losing my ticket and/or passport. But I love to visit new places, so it’s just the price I pay.

Kellyann:  I love to travel; locally and globally.  I did more of it when I was in college.  But we made our first big international trip with the kids last October.  We all went to the West of Ireland for my cousin’s wedding.  I’d been there several times, but it was an unforgettable experience to share that mystical, magical land with my children and husband.

Mary: I’m such a huge travel whore, I want to go everywhere.
Where have you visited that you’d love to re-visit?

Karenne:  I got my hubby tickets to a concert in Las Vegas a couple of years ago.  We went and spent 4 wonderful days just goofing around (minus the kids) and we had a blast.  I would love to go and do that again….again minus the kids!  ROFL

Danielle: Oooh Karenne! Hubby and I went to Vegas for our honeymoon back in ’98. We stayed off the strip though. We stayed at The Rio. It was great. Still thinking about that food question earlier, they have The World Buffet. It is a restaurant with 13…yes I said 13 different settings and styles of food. They also have this great show they call the show in the sky. It really is a great place to visit.

AzGaye:  Las Vegas or Reno are fun for a fast stop—but soon the hectic pace gets too much. I’d like to go back to San Francisco and maybe to Washington DC again as I did not see nearly enough of the Smithsonian etc. when I was there years ago. I lived as a very small child near Boston for about a year –can’t remember it really--but would like to go there again for the history and all. And maybe Florida again for the really neat beaches and many friends I have there.

Venus: My favorite destination so far was Scotland and I'd love to re-visit. The Highlands seeped into my heart and I feel as if I left a piece of my soul in that beautiful country.

Kimberly: I’d love to return to Pennsylvania.  It is just such a beautiful place. The people are friendly and really make you feel like you’ve come home. The landscape is breath-taking. I’d love to return to Niagara Falls in Canada. My mom takes us there every time we go for a visit. It is one of those places where I could just sit forever and absorb the energy from the falls.


Danielle: Since I was born in England but left when I was 6 months old I would love to go back so I could see where I was born.

Maura:  Other than Ireland, the Adirondacks.  I used to go frequently for work and my husband loves it there too.

Danielle: Oh Maura! The Adirondacks are beautiful! I lived right around the corner from them when I lived in Northern New York.

Hollie: I was born in N.Ireland and I would love to go back, I also love Scotland we hope to take the kids next year after we get a caravan (I’ve had enough of tents). I have family in Wales my maternal grandmother is Welsh and it is a beautiful part of the country, it helps that it has a few Autograss clubs there as well, as does Ireland and Scotland.

Lisa: If I had to re-visit somewhere, I guess I would go back to Amsterdam. I had a really great time there.

Amy R: I went to San Francisco for RWA 2008, and I would love to go back there with my DH to see more of the City. It’s a fabulous place.

Brenda:  I was able to take a short trip to Paris when my mother visited me in Germany.  The allergy that I developed to bed bugs there made it rather uncomfortable.  I’d love to spend more time at the Louvre Museum.

Betty: I spent two weeks in Malta in July 1997. Absolute heaven. I don’t know if I’d go back, if only because there are still too many places left to see, but I’m looking forward to getting another taste of the Mediterranean.

Kellyann:  It’d be too obvious to say Ireland. I’d go back every year if I could.  But the next revisit stop will have to be Italy.  I’ve been there once.  I found Rome to be captivating—the evidence of layers of history side-by-side is awe inspiring.  I’d love to show it to my kids.

Mary: Where is the one place you’d love to visit if you had the money and time, and why? And where is the one place on earth you never want to visit, and why?

Karenne: I would love to go to Scotland or Australia.  I have a very good friend who has offered to show me around Australia.  She is the reason I would go.  Scotland, I would love to see the country because of the books I have read and enjoyed over the years.  Love the internet because I have an idea of what both places look like and what to expect.  Isn’t the internet a wonderful thing!

AzGaye:  I guess the British Isles would top my list. I really want to walk where the ancient Celts did and see Stonehenge and New Grange and the Hebrides and such. I feel like part of my soul is still tied there since the greater part of my ancestors came from that region although it was long ago since most were in the US before it was the US!  Actually most of Europe does not really draw me. I know everyone wants to go to Paris and Italy and stuff but I really do not care to. It would be way down my list if I could go anywhere I wanted to.

Venus: I have so many places I'd love to visit if money were no object as I have very high class taste and do not enjoy traveling coach on long flights ;-) I'm not sure that there is any place I would refuse to travel to if the opportunity were presented I'd like to think I would embrace the adventure. Although as I said earlier I love my comforts so i would not want to go anywhere with out my amenities.

Kimberly: I’d love to do a year in England, Ireland and Scotland. My family originally came from England, my husband’s came from Scotland. Ireland? Because it is there, so why not? For me, it would be more of an ancestral journey. One place I’d never visit? Probably, Africa. I’m not really big on hot, arid places.

Danielle: I really want to go to Scotland and Ireland. There are so many different books out there that bring the countryside alive. I swear I will get there one day. I really have no ambition to visit Antarctica. It is just way to cold!!!

Maura:  I would love to go to Italy.  I don’t know of any place in particular that I would never visit, but I do hate camping, tried it twice.  Ironically, I worked in a campground at a county park for most of college.

Hollie: Probably Greece, I love history and Greece has even more history the England. I don’t think there is anywhere I wouldn’t like to visit if money and time wasn’t a problem.

Lisa: That is a hard question. There are so many places I want to see! I think my number one choice for now is to go to Rio for Carnival. There isn’t anywhere I wouldn’t want to see. The world is a huge and wondrous place.

Amy R: It’s a tie between England/Scotland and Alaska/Yukon/NWT and Nunavut. I’m more drawn to cold places. Where I wouldn’t visit, hmm, that’s tricky because I want to see the entire world. I guess for arguments sake Antarctica is a place low on my list to visit.

Brenda:  I would like to visit the Alps.  I love mountains and they are majestic.  I have no interest in visiting China.  I just don’t like a lot of people crushed into one spot.

Betty: I’ve always fancied going to Ireland, but I doubt a week or two would be sufficient. I can’t think a particular place I wouldn’t go if given the chance, but I will always avoid any locale with “war torn” in the description.

Kellyann:  I’d love to go to Egypt or Israel.  As far as I’m concerned, both of those places are the seats of spiritual civilization.  Someday, perhaps.  Or, if I ever achieve transcendental meditation proficiency, I’ll whizz there in my dreams.  
I have absolutely no interest in China.  There certainly is a wealth of history and culture (and I love the cuisine) but, call me shallow, I’m a 6’2” woman and would not be comfortable with the small scale of the civilization.

Mary: Any takers? I’m serious about this—I say we all save and go to Italy. We could rent a farm house in Tuscany, explore all day and drink wine all night. How fun would that be? Hey I can dream can’t I?  Since I have no money! See you all tomorrow for our last day of discussion.

Kimberly: Oh, that would be heavenly. Good friends, great food and fantastic wine. But, I’m with you on the dreaming thing…no money makes it hard

Betty: I’m actually making plans to go to Torino, Italy, in July 2012, for a week-long convention. Since I’ll be turning 50 later that month, I’m hoping to follow up with my dream vacation—a Mediterranean cruise. If anyone wants to join me…

Comments

Hollie said…
hi everyone, it's nice and sunny here in the UK (as long as you don't look at the big black clouds) i've just had lunch and now i'm going to enjoy what is left of teh nice weather before the kids get home from school
Kellyann said…
Hi Mary,
another beautiful day in the garden! I love your suggestion about renting a villa in Tuscany. Fields of gold and glasses of golden liquid...chardonnay, if you please. La dolce vita!
Mary said…
Good Morning everyone!
Hollie have fun with the kids!

Kellyann, if I had the money I'd have a vacation home in Tuscany--oh to be rich!
Lindsay said…
My bride of ten days and I were flying home, correction, toward home on 9/11. Four days later, after driving a third of the US, we finally got home. Three months later we were in the air to the Bahamas to finish our honeymoon. So flying doesn't bother me. Much.
My travel these days is pretty much limited to conferences.
Next year I'm hoping to get to England. Part vacation. Part research of a mystery book set in the southern area.
Hollie said…
Lindsey you should set your book up here, it's much better then the south.

well the kids are home and we have a storm so i am going to cook dinner now incase the power goes off, it's fish and chips tonight with mushy peas that have been soaking for teh last 3 hours.

i may be back later if not hope you all enjoy the rest of your day
Lindsay said…
Sorry Hollie but I want to sent the book in and around Godolphin Cross. I like the name because of its reference to the Godolphin Arabian. One of the founding sires of the Thoroughbred racing stock. And the area from the pictures I've seen fits into the ideas and concepts I have for the book
Danielle said…
I am glad I am visiting in your garden today. I called home and it is cold and rainy.
Mary said…
Hopping in on the flying! I LOVE to fly. I'd love to be able to fly a plane.

Okay back to family business, argh!
Anonymous said…
I knew there was something I forgot to do today...pop in and say hello! If someone finds my mind wandering around out there, would you please send it back to me?!
It looks like everyone is planning their next vacations. I'll just be happy to get this move done. I'll take a few moments to daydream: *sighs* A staff to do my bidding, a house where all I have to do is put up my feet and relax...Ahhh! And reality demands my attention!
Lindsay said…
Kimberely when you find that place let me know
Pat Cochran said…
Hello to all,

I'm a newbie to this blog and we
don't do much travelling, never
have, except for accompanying our
high school bands on competition
trips. The jewel of our travel
crown has to be the trip to Venice
that I won in a sweepstake contest.
It truly was a sweetheart trip!

Pat Cochran

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