Camping really??? My idea of camping is staying in a cabin at the very least. I love roasting hot dogs and marshmallows then heading indoors about the time the mosquitoes start biting.

We went camping when we were first married. It was all really fun until it got dark and we got in the tent. Then I just knew there were things moving around in the dark outside and I didn’t trust the tent material to protect us. I felt like bait. I jumped and said “what was that” every couple minutes. I was terrified. About 2 o’clock in the morning my husband gave up, packed up and we went home. I think we only went camping in a tent a couple of times after that.

A tropical vacation home but not just any tropical home purchase. I know exactly what I am looking for I just can’t find it. Some day I will have one of those deja vu moments. We love to go stay on a beach for our main vacations but I am always searching…..

In my dreams I have a vision of a beautiful tropical place where we buy a house on the beach. The back of the house faces the ocean although there is a long  island in the middle of a smallish bay before the open ocean. The water is deep enough to boat between the main land and the island. It is close but not close enough to swim to. It has great snorkeling right off our dock. It is not heavily populated in that area. There is one small resort with a store down the road quite a ways. The house needs lots of work but is in an ideal location. It is so beautiful there. Just the place for us to retire on a beach, at least part time.

I know it is just a dream but every once in a while I will look at maps to see if I can find it. Maybe I just watch too much episodes of “House Hunters International.” Whatever the case may be it too is on my bucket list. If you have been somewhere like I described please help me by sending me the location to look at. If I find a photo similar too it I will also post it. Dreams…..

Does anyone else dream of having a house on the beach??

Exotic vacations need not be what you would normally think. Exotic vacations to me are ones where you have unique experiences or ones that are different, foreign to you or make you feel extra special. That opens up a lot of room for you to have an exotic vacation.

I have been to Venice a couple of times and it was defiantly a unique, different, foreign and memorable experience. I had never seen or experienced anything like it before. Some other exotic vacation experiences I can tell you about are Egypt, a Safari in Africa, canopying & the mud spa in Costa Rica, and even laying in the sun in Mexico.

Talking of Mexico I am preparing to go on my annual Riviera Maya Mexico vacation. This year we have chosen two different resorts. One of them the Secrets Silversands Resort. We chose this resort because we are looking for an exotic vacation. Exotic because it is supposed to be a classy high end luxury resort with a high level of service. I wanted to be spoiled this trip so we will see how this resort measures up to my hopes.

San Francisco is a place where there is so much to do that you would need a couple weeks to fully experience it. There are many ways to see San Francisco. Some of the most popular are by car, on the famous cable cars, and various tour companies that provide narrated tours. Try something different and see San Francisco by bike. You can rent them and even ride over the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito. Sausalito is another close interesting place to see, shop and have a dining experience next to the water. One of my favorite shopping sprees was in Sausalito where my husband bought a piano purse for my daughter.

We are now staying in Playa del Carmen at the Real Playa Hotel and Beach Club. We are staying with hotel only. They offered us the all inclusive package at a reasonable rate but we wanted to go out and wander the 5th Ave tourist street and beach and eat there. This is an older hotel but the rooms are clean and near the beach. It is crazy with people for Spring Break and the Mexican Holiday as well. People everywhere. We walked to the beach and there were big concert stages set up but high walls around them so you had to pay to go in. The beach was very very crowded.

The worst was the partiers coming back during the night very drunk and very loud.

Guess what we found? A Fish Spa. I did this in Spain with my sister in law and friend. It was a great experience and my feet really were soft when I was done. It was so reasonable that I got dad to do it too. It was $21 for two people of $15 for one. Since it only cost  Gaylan $6 he decided to do it. People would stop and ask how it was. We were such good sales people that the spa manager kept giving us 5 more minutes. So instead of 15 mins. We go to stay for 45 mins. We got them 3 more sets of customers at least. It was great.People kept asking, “What does it feel like?” My answer is it it strange when you first put your feet in and all the little fish attack. It tingles almost like they are spot by spot numbing your feet. Once you get used to it you love it.

This town is really touristy. There is one street called 5th Ave. Norte. It is a walking only street with shops, restaurants, and bars for abt 30 blocks. We ate at a restaurant called “100% Natural Restaurant” We had fajitas and this fabulous green drink. It was cucumber, spearmint and lime.

Then we went shopping at the supermarket for snacks and breakfast food. At the bakery they give you a pizza pan and a pair of tongs. You pick out the pastries you want with your tongs and put them on the pizza pan. Then you take them to the counter and they wrap them individually in plastic and then place them in a paper bag with a price sticker on it. It was kind of cool.

We are loving having all these new experiences. I learned watching friends who always intended to experience new things and travel end up with health problems or as they got older their fears prevented them from trying new things. I am glad that we started traveling and having new and different experiences from the first when we were married even if it was a day trip somewhere.

We are going looking at condos and houses today but we think they will be too expensive on this side plus so far here we can’t see ourselves living in this area. Gaylan is a great driver and I navigate. It works out very well.