Where Are You Thankful For?

I've traveled to some fabulous locations over the last couple of years.  Here are the five I'm most thankful for.

1. L'auberge de Sedona, Arizona- Nestled among the red rocks of Sedona is a romantic hideaway bordering Oak Creek.  Here the weather is cooler than most of Arizona and the landscape truly transcends the ordinary.  I woke up to morning yoga, coffee and fresh baked scones, and spent my days hiking the magnificent red landscape. This place is not for kids, so save it for that special getaway with your one and only.

2. Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada - I visit Vegas every year and have stayed at most of the places on the strip. (I refuse to stay at Circus Circus because I'm afraid of clowns *shiver*) Hands down my favorite place to stay is Caesars. Aside from the luxurious accommodations, the service in the casino is excellent. Although Caesars is conveniently located near the center of the strip, you will never want to leave. The pool area, called Garden of the Gods is a great way to spend an afternoon. The food is fabulous and the shows are some of the best in the world.  Don't miss Absinthe  but if you do wander, take in O at the Bellagio. There is something in Vegas for everyone...accept kids.  Don't bring your kids. Save this trip for an exciting vaca with your best pals.

3. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Orlando, Florida- The best family vacation we've ever taken was to Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida.  This is one of those rare places where everyone, young and old, comes away happy. We spent four full days in the two parks but the highlight of the trip was the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.  The place is nothing less than magical.  Don't miss Olivanders. (I recommend getting in line for this first) or Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey ride.  Lunch at the Three Broomsticks is worth waiting for.  Your kids will love the butterbeer and pumpkin juice.  The rest of Universal is lots of fun, too, when you've had enough of Hogwarts.

4. Turtle Bay Resort, North Shore Hawaii- My favorite place to stay when visiting my husbands birthplace of Oahu, Hawaii is the Turtle Bay resort.  It was featured in the film Forgetting Sarah Marshall and let me tell you, you could forget a lot watching the waves wash toward this island paradise. When you've had enough of sand and sun, go snorkeling, surfing or horseback riding or try the restaurant on the beach.  You'll never forget a stay at Turtle Bay and of course, if you visit North Shore, don't forget to have a shave ice at Matsumotos.

5. Washington D.C - For something completely different, visit Washington D.C with your family. We took the train from Union Station, Chicago on a seventeen hour ride to the capitol. Stay on Dupont Circle and you are walking distance from most attractions.  We visited the Washington Monument, toured the White House and the House of Representatives, visited the Library of Congress, and spent whole days wandering through Smithsonian museums for free.  I don't consider myself a history buff but the multi-cultural population and political intrigue that surrounds the place is beyond interesting.  It's an affordable place to take the whole family and it will change the way you think about the United States.

Where are you thankful for?

What Are You Thankful for?

Continuing with my November theme of giving thanks, here are some gadgets that have changed my life this year.

1.  iPhone:  How is it possible that I survived into adulthood without this?  Besides giving you 24/7 access to email, twitter, and Facebook, it can give you directions, tell you if you need an umbrella, and  notify you when you're late for your kid's soccer game.  Then, it can take pictures and video of that soccer game when you forget your camera in the rush.

My only complaint about iPhone is my jealousy toward Siri who my husband talks to almost as much as me.  I heard him ask her to marry him the other day.  Lucky for me, she wasn't interested.

2.  Kindle:  As I writer, I'm thankful for all eReaders but as a reader, I own a kindle.  Kindle has enabled my book addiction.  No longer am I limited to a certain amount of shelf space.  I can buy as many books as I can read and it goes anywhere.  I especially love that it stays open and is easy to operate on the treadmill.  Anyone who's ever tried to read while running with a paper book knows this is a major plus. And, let's not forget there are some amazing deals out there on kindle ebooks.

3. Macbook Air: Keeping with my Apple obsession, I am thankful for the Macbook Air my husband gave me for my birthday.  It's small and light enough to fit in my purse, plus powerful enough to support all of my computing needs.  I take this thing everywhere and have officially written a book on it over the last month.




4.Ooma:  Are you still paying for phone service?  If you have wifi in your house, you don't need to.  Pick up this baby and send your calls over the internet for free.  Love it. I'm frequently surprised how few people are taking advantage of this technology. It's a great deal if you still have a land line.

5. Roku: I'm a busy person.  You know besides the writing gig, I'm also working as the goddess of hearth and home.  So, I rarely watch TV.  But I have this nifty device called a Roku that allows me to stream a bunch of stuff when I want to watch it.  It's better than a DVR because the shows don't have commercials and I don't have to remember to record them.  I recently watched the first two seasons of Vampire Diaries on my Roku.  In my opinion, this technology is just taking off and I wouldn't be surprised if everything is streaming in the not so distant future.

So what technology are you thankful for this year?

Thank You Veterans!

Today is the perfect opportunity to say thank you to all the men and women who serve or have served in the military.  In this world where we are constantly surrounded by reports of self serving and morally bankrupt behavior, veterans remind us that there are still brave people wiling to act selflessly for the greater good.  It goes beyond that though.  Veterans remind us that there is a greater good.  They remind us that we are worth fighting for.  And they challenge us to not take their sacrifice for granted but instead to work to solve the problems we face as a country and to act honorably in its leadership.

So, as you read your two hundredth story about occupy wall street, partisan politics, and/or some elaborate fraud to pillage taxpayer dollars, remember, at least for today, that there were and are people that understood that even though the US system isn't perfect, it's pretty darn good.

Thank you veterans!