RT: Travel anyone?

Gosh I need a vacation...

But with a kitty that has been sick, it has not been decided whether we are still going on our planned road trip or not. Our little Lily has been feeling better, but i would hate to see her relapse. It wouldn't be a good thing. And this girl would not be up for traveling. All I would be in the mood for would be movies and a Costco sized box of Kleenex! (Look at me, all pessimistic... ) She's doing well and all I can do is THANK GOD for that! It's not time for that cute kitty to leave this world. She still has so much to do and see! 

So, all this talk of a possible canceled vacation has me only thinking that i need to take one! So which would it be...

Well... let's choose one for each because I just love to travel! So I guess my answer is ALL THREE! 

|one|

Beach

This beach is on the island my mother grew up on. I love the red sand and in the summer months, there are tourists as far as the eye can see! I love the shallow water and the history of the place in general! There is a wall built under the water that was built to protect the beach during war times. There is also said to be a cave that was built that went from a high cliff above this beach to under the water all the way to Sicily! All for people to escape! So if I took a trip to a beach, I would love to take my hubby here! He would also get to meet my family! 

|two|

Rustic Cabin

These may not count so much as cabins, but they are close enough. These are not far from home, but my hubby and I have definitely wanted to give them a try! We would love to do this with a bunch of friends and just hang by the beach for a week! Shopping and restaurants are close by if you want a quick trip down to hang out, but if you stay down there, you can cook your own meals in the kitchen that is fully functional! 

|three|

City

My sister lives here, so this would kill two birds with one stone. My hubby and I really want to visit Europe period and this would be my choice for the city we would see together! So much still that I'd love to go back to see more of or even just see anew! 

That's my Random Thursday post for the week! 

Link up with us! 

Random Thursday: Childhood Memory

Yet another Random Thursday .... waaa waaa waaa

The topic for the week:

Hmmmm..... 

Ok so i am going to consider under 18 as childhood! 

If you disagree then maybe we can have a chat about age! 

I am gonna have to see if i can dig for some photos... hold on... i'll be right back! 

I'm back! And just like i thought, I do not have any pictures handy to share with you. Sad face! 

(For the record.... I am super tired and so much to do before bed tonight!) 

So, my one favorite memory from my childhood was an entire trip to Europe with my church during the summer between my junior and senior years of high school in 1997!

We went to 4 different countries in 2 weeks and it was awesome! 

Here are some places we saw:

(Pictures were obviously found elsewhere!)

Amsterdam

Ignore the person on the bike, that is not me, but i was there once!

Rome

It was so hot when we were here! I remember thinking "can this tour be over?" Stinks that i didn't listen more carefully! 

By bus we traveled through Italy and got to see Assisi, Florence and Milan! 

Switzerland

Paris

Photo Sources {1} {2} {3} {4} {5} {6} {7}

Along with the places that we traveled to, it really was an awesome tip with a great group of friends! I am even still friends with some of the people i traveled with! It was definitely a combination between the places and the people to make this memory a great one! 

So, what was your favorite childhood memory? 

See other memories by clicking the link below!

 

The Salmon Capital of the World

Hi there! 

OK, so I'm a little bit late, but this is my Saturday post! It's also the final post about our recent vacation! We've been back for two weeks now and i find myself still trying to get bac into the swing of things! 

My last post included our stop in Skagway and then our scenic cruising in Tracy's Arm. Check out that post here but don't forget to find the Seattle post and the first leg of our cruise! 

Onto the last leg of our trip.... 

In Ketchikan we had a very sort amount of time, but had a Duck Tour scheduled and waiting for us! 

I was pretty excited and thought we might see more of the natural surroundings on the water, but that was not the case! Oh well, it gave us a great tour around the city and we learned a bit about the area too! Here are some shots of the few hours we spent there:

WE even saw salmon trying to swim upstream! Afterall, Ketchikan is the Salmon Capital of the World! 

They built a salmon ladder to help the fish fight the current.  

Becasue the current looks like this! 

 

And less like this:

Here we are ready to make our way down Creek Street but purely for tourist reasons.

 A shot of what Creek Street looks like. These historical and adorable looking buildings once housed less than wholesome activities. (Yes, they were brothels!) 

 We then walked around and came across a rescue group that had this beauty on display!

  

Then it was back on the ship and we headed to Victoria! We arrived the next evening and immediately got on a bus to head to the Butchart Gardens. Here we are on the bus on our way! 

 And then some shots of the amazing garden that just had us floored and snapping off pictures like none other! 

 Look how pretty!

 And here is the same garden at night. 

 Another spot in the garden that overlooks the water! The sunset and colors here were astonishing!It made me want a nice big talk glass of lemonade and a lounge chair!

And then back to the ship, but not before getting a stamp in our passports and a quick shot with the Canadian flag! 

The next day we found ourselves back in Seattle and we headed back to Sea-Tac Airport! We had such a great time and really truly recommend the trip to Alaska! My husband and I feel so blessed to have gotten to experience this trip! What amazing creation there is to see! 

I hope you enjoyed a peek into our trip photos! 

Guest Post: Welcome to Jamie @ Just Stuff For Fun

By now i am floating from Alaskan stop to Alaskan stop! I am for sure enjoying the people, places, food, and fun that my trip has to offer! Here's a look at another United States destination! Be back soon!

Hey Busy As A Honey Bee readers!!

I'm Jamie and I blog over at Just Stuff For fun!  My blog name pretty much speaks for itself!  I blog about anything and everything fun.  That could mean what I wore yesterday or what I plan to do over the weekend :)  I am a somewhat new blogger and have enjoyed meeting all the lovely ladies out there in the blog world...and Simone is no exception!

Simone has asked me some questions having to do with my hometown!!

What city do you live in?
 Well, I live in Seattle but I will talk more about that later.  Let's talk about where I grew up! 
I grew up in Wheaton, Maryland.  It's about 30 minutes north of DC. My aunt, cousin, great aunt, and both sets of grandparents were all within a 20 minute drive of home!  We lived there until I was in 7th grade when my parents decided to move because Wheaton was getting too congested.

I didn't want to leave my friends so I stayed with my grandparents during my 8th grade year to finish out middle school with all my BFF's.  Because we all know when you're 13, losing friends is like "THE WORST THING EVERRRRR!"

Anyhoo...we moved about an hour west to Hagerstown, Maryland.  Yes, I know, the name just scerams fun, right?!?!  I actually ended up liking the "small town" feel.  I made new friends and life was grand!

http://www.hagerstownmd.org/

There is a ton of history around Hagerstown so if you are a history buff and you are making your way up the east coast, you should definitely stop by!!

What is the best memory you have of being home?
Hmm..my best memory...
That would have to be all my friends and family.  See, shortly after we moved, my grandparents followed us up to Hagerstown.  It was nice to have them around :)

Can you tell us about where you like to hangout in your hometown?  Favorite restaurant?  Shopping Center?
Oh buy!  Well, there really wasn't THAT much to do in Hagerstown as far as hanging out with friends.  So, we just kind of drove around and just hung out at the mall or at someones house.  We took many many trips to Ruby Tuesdays to eat!  I wish there was one close by where I live now!  And every time I go home to visit I always make sure I stop at the outlet mall which is like 2 minutes fro my parents house!!

Is your home now where you grew up?  What makes you stay were you are?
No, my home now is in Seattle!  J and I have been here for a little over five years and bought our first house a little over a year ago!

We absolutely love it out here!  We have met so many awesome friends!  The people are just so much different than people on the east.  I love the weather!  Our winters may be rainy but our summers sure do make up for it :)  We don't need a/c which is awesome!  I do not miss the heat and humidity from back home AT ALL!

There is just so much to do out here I would need 25 posts to list it all out!!
Long satyr short...I think we are hear to stay!

I like to visit lots of community events like farmers markets, exercise classes through the city, and free events hosted by local neighborhoods like concerts in the park.  Have you done an of these in your city?
I'm ashamed to say that we have not done much stuff like that in the five years we've been here but we are most definitely starting to do more!
Each neighborhood in Seattle seems to have their own little festival during the summer!  We have been to a couple and hope to do more!
In two weeks, there is a festival in West Seattle (where we live) so we are for sure going to check that out :)

What is the biggest frustration that you face where you live?
Can I name a few?
Traffic is HORRIBLE!  Seattle has some of the worst traffic in the US.  And that's not just coming from me!
Second, would be road construction!  Every single road and freeway is being worked on one way or another.  It's annoying!
The last one would have to be parking.  Since we live in an older neighborhood there isn't a lot of parking besides street parking.  So parking is a very big frustration when all you want it a cup of coffee!!

If you could choose to live anywhere in the world, would you stay or would you go?
I think I would stay where I'm at!  I love it up here and I am happier here than I have even been in my life :)  

About to Set Sail...

OK this is purely a post where i have been researching what to pack, what to bring, what i need, what the weather will be like and all things Alaska and Seattle! 


Here they are and they are Oh so PINTERESTING! And i am totally loving that in a WEEK, I will be in full blown packing mode! So excited! 

Source: onlyinseattle.org via Simone on Pinterest

"Only in Seattle" Website

Source: virtualtourist.com via Simone on Pinterest

One Spot I will visit: the First Starbucks! 

Source: alaskacruises.com via Simone on Pinterest

Awesome info on weather for each month and what we will be able to see from the boat! Whales, moose, dolphins, oh, my! 

Source: etsy.com via Simone on Pinterest

Wishing i had found this one sooner! 

Source: everydayminimalist.com via Simone on Pinterest

I think i could learn a thing or two from someone who travels a lot! Here is a flight attendants tips for packing! 

Source: cruisecritic.com via Simone on Pinterest

Source: alaskacruises.com via Simone on Pinterest

What to bring to AK! 

Source: alaskacruises.com via Simone on Pinterest

Alaska Packing List for Women

Source: cruisecritic.com via Simone on Pinterest

Cruise packing tips! 


I have my hiking boots ready and luggage in my bedroom ready to be packed! the piles of clothes are going to begin forming! 


Also, thought i would link up today with the GFC Blog Hop! thought this would be a great way to meet some new friends .... oh and to get even further behind on bloggy reading! Especially since i will be going on vacay soon too... 
 


While I am mentioning it, next week the guest posts begin! I am looking forward to hearing from my guest bloggers and cannot wait for you all to read what they have got to share! They all rock! More info on that later this week!