Hole In The Donut Cultural Travel

Have I Said I HATE Cold Weather?

Published December 13, 2008 | By Barbara Weibel

So, I’m on the road again. Headed north. Which is crazy, because I hate the cold weather. But my entire family lives in Illinois and I travel back home for Christmas each year, so it is what it is. This trip, however, has presented a few challenges.

Things started to go wrong while I was still in the Tampa Bay, Florida area. On day three the temperature plummeted to 57 and the wind kicked up. The next morning I awoke with my annual sinus infection – a behind the nose raw kind of hurt that made it difficult to swallow. Usually, standing under a hot shower helps a lot, but this was the morning that I had no water in that lovely hotel in Clearwater Beach. I needed new sinuses and a shower that worked.

By the following day I had reached the home of friends in the Atlanta area, who always let me stay with them when I am traveling to Chicago because it is a very convenient midway point. Atlanta’s cold, gray weather ruled out any extended outdoor activity, however I had to wash my car, since it was covered with salt spray from the beach. Within an hour of putting the finishing touches on my now sparkling car, it began to pour rain and it didn’t stop for two days. Spending an hour at the car wash in the cold weather made my sinus infection worse and Continue reading →

Posted in Humor |

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Wordless Wednesday – Yoho National Park, Canada

Published December 10, 2008 | By Barbara Weibel

A gorgeous lake at Yoho National Park in Canada:

Emerald Lake at Yoho National Park, British Columbia, Canada

Posted in Canada travel |

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Benefits of “Roughing It” When Traveling

Published December 9, 2008 | By Barbara Weibel

I have always enjoyed roughing it, whether I was in a tent in a National Park or some remote location half a world away where my sleeping accommodations consisted of a floating bamboo shelter with no running water or electricity. One of the reasons I enjoy this experience so much is that when I get close to nature my spiritual condition is renewed. I feel close to ‘all that is’ and I am at peace. After exposure to such great beauty, the world could be falling down around my feet and I would walk peacefully through the rubble.

Especially with international destinations, I prefer to travel this way because it allows me to get close to the people and culture of the country I am visiting. Pricey, upscale hotels try their best to provide all the amenities the traveler would normally have at home. The result is often a sanitized, if well-intentioned, experience of the country and its people. On the few occasions when I stayed at all-inclusive resorts or five-star hotels, the hotel staff strongly encouraged me not to venture off the grounds because they “could not ensure my safety” in the event that I did so. This happened to me in Jamaica last year, and I thought it was Continue reading →

Posted in Travel tips |

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Traveling Around Tampa Bay In Search Of Florida’s Best Gulfcoast Beaches

Published December 8, 2008 | By Barbara Weibel

As I travel north to visit my family for the holidays, I decided to stop the Tampa Bay area. This is one of the few areas of Florida that I had not considered prior to moving from North Carolina to Florida and I thought a tour of this area was long overdue. Among the many criteria I have when searching for a place to live is the quality of the beaches, and so this is where I began my investigation.

St. Pete Beach has a lovely strip of sand and clear water, but the town itself is very touristy. The sand is nice but not the pure white, sugar-fine stuff that can be found at other locales around Florida’s Gulfcoast.

St. Pete Beach

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Posted in Florida travel |

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A Moving Display Of Holiday Lights In Dunedin, Florida

Published December 7, 2008 | By Barbara Weibel

When I say that the display of lights in Dunedin, Florida was moving, I’m not talking about the “bring you to tears” kind of moving. I mean they were literally moving – on the water. At Dunedin’s annual Holiday Boat Parade last night, thousands of people gathered on the waterfront to watch perhaps three dozen wildly decorated boats sail into the marina.

From Christmas trees to an American flag, boats were decked out in all manner of themes

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Posted in Authentic travel, Florida travel |

17 Comments

It Snowed In Dunedin, Florida Last Night

Published December 6, 2008 | By Barbara Weibel

I’m on the road again, traveling for another month. At the moment I’m wandering around the Gulf coast of Florida and checking out some of the lovely beaches on this side of the state. By day, I’m soaking up the sun, but by night I’m checking out some of the many Christmas events offered in the area.

It was an Old Fashioned Christmas in Dunedin, Florida last night, complete with twinkling lights, Santa Claus, and yes, even snow! This small town on the northern end of Tampa Bay attracts thousands of visitors for its lineup of Christmas events each year. Festivities begin with the Old Fashioned Christmas event, held last night, and continue through the month of December. The lineup includes a Holiday Boat Parade and Mistletoe Craft Market (both on Dec. 6); a Holiday Parade, complete with floats (Dec. 13); a Holiday Chorus (Dec. 14); Santa’s Calling, when Santa Claus telephones children from his Workshop at the North Pole (Dec. 17); and a Holiday Band Concert (Dec. 18). Continue reading →