My Mom just returned from a trip through coastal Connecticut. She told me she wanted to return already before she had gotten all the way home. For part of their trip they stayed in a bed and breakfast that was country, cozy, and comfortable. She loved the setup – private bath, walk in closet, ironing board and iron, extra pillows and blankets, coffee pot and fixings, fireplace, and more. The mini suite was computer ready, set with Internet. My Dad could have easily run his office from there, The work area was roomy. He had space for his portable printer, a smaller tm-t88iv printer would have easily fit as well.

Did you ever go on a trip and forget something? Medications? Sleeping pills? Socks? Lots of people do this, myself included. What I’ve found helpful is making list in the days and weeks before my trip. I add everything I need as a part of my daily routine, and then add additional items as I think of them. Then when I’m packing I cross each item off the list as I pack it. It works every time, I haven’t forgotten anything in some time.

The only time I have spent in the Carolinas is a couple of brief rest stops on trips to Florida. I’ve never had the time to stop and see the sights there. I hear many things about the beach and vacation communities. I know a few people that annually rent out Outer Banks vacation homes. They tell me that the sights and scenery are amazing. Have you visited the Outer Banks? Tell me why you recommend or don’t recommend a trip there?

I recently took a trip to Florida. I spent one night in the Boardwalk resort, which is a resort with an old fashioned seaside resort style. The room managed to make everything look like it was from the period without using antiques. The sofabed was really modern furniture, it unfolded in a way I’d never seen before and the pillow stowed away within the frame. I liked the color of the décor, all tones from the sand and sea. This is one of my Mom’s favorite resorts, because she can go right into two of the parks directly. I liked the appearance but think I would have enjoyed it a bit more in warmer weather, as the wind was really whipping off of the water.

In case you don’t know it, I hate the cold. I like spring and fall. It’s only October and I’ve already had to use the car window defroster! I could really go for one of those Outer Banks beach rentals right about now. The average temperature in that part of North Carolina is 70 degrees, something I could definitely appreciate since our average in October is probably about 55 degrees. We’ve already had tempsjust under 40 this year. What’s the averge temperature for October where you live?

The cold weather is here. We’ve had some record breaking cold for the month of October recently. Much of my family will be heading to Florida for a vacation soon. This is my favorite time of year to go to Florida because it’s not too hot and not too cold. My Mom’s lost quite a bit of weight (without the help of any slimming pills) and has been looking for a bathing suit for the trip. Fortunately there is the internet, because there are no bathing suits in the stores up here.

In my travels I’ve driven through the Carolinas but never spent a lot of time there. One brief visit, with fire ant attack, in south Carolina. One overnight in a motel on the drive home from Florida. I’ve been hearing for years that there are beautiful vacation spots in the Carolinas. I looked at some ads for Outer Banks rentals online and found some beautiful properties with great ocean views. I guess the reason I never paid much attention to beach vacations is because I live at the seashore. I like to go to places more for the activities than the scenery. Walt Disney World is my favorite of all, although they have terrific scenery as well. So here’s a question. Is your ideal or favorite vacation spot anything like the area that you live in? Do you vacation for scenery or activities.

My brother’s been talking about taking a trip to Cancun. We got to talking about how we’ve always heard that you shouldn’t drink the water in Mexico or you get really sick. We decided a colon cleanse might be preferable to the problems we’ve heard about people having. Curious why they say not to drink the water, we did a little reading. According to a few websites the water table there is close to the surface, therefore contaminated by dumps and runoff. Even one of the Cancun sites said visitors should drink bottled water. Hmmmm. Not exactly a visitor enticing thing, is it.

This week’s Saturday Safari takes me to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina via the Myrtle Beach Cam. My parents are traveling there tomorrow. It’s June so it should be in the mid to high 80s there. It’s much more humid in the South than it is here in New Jersey so I’m hoping the hotel they’re staying at is near the ocean so it’ll be a little cooler. I hope they have good weather and a great time.

We don’t tend to travel on holidays because of traffic and too many people making bad choices to drink and drive. No matter where you are I hope you’re having a good weekend and that you’re safe. Take a moment to remember the true meaning of Memorial Day.