Wine and Spirits Travel

It was day three in Daytona Beach, Florida , for my friend Betty and I. We were definitely not running out of things to do. We decided to sleep in a bit and have breakfast downstairs at the Oceanside Inn . By 9:00 am we were still off to the Marine Science Center . It was smaller than an aquarium, but still offered plenty to do, including the opportunity to touch sharks and stingrays, and see and learn about the rehabilitation and breeding of sea turtles. We also saw examples about how things in the environment, especially garbage thrown into the water, affects marine life. Before we drove off, we took a walk across the road for a short hike and a glimpse at the beach. We were then off to the Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse & Museum . It was very different from most National Historic Landmarks I have been to. It wasn’t about famous people in history, it was more an honor to important people you may not know about. In this case, the site pays homage

My friend Betty and I had flown down to Daytona Beach for three fun-filled days. We hit the ground running on day one , and day two was even more busy. We woke up early at the Oceanside Inn and headed to Crabby Joe’s Deck & Grill to meet Lori Campbell Baker and Tonya West of the Daytona Convention and Visitors Bureau for breakfast. Lori and Tonya had worked hard to arrange our schedule and, although it sounded like a strange spot for breakfast, I trusted they had their reasons. When we arrived, we soon realized Crabby Joe's was not only a scenic spot out on the Sun Glow Pier over the ocean, but the menu was filled with some unusual dishes, like fish fillets for breakfast. The day was cloudy and it appeared that a storm was coming, but we were ready to brave whatever the weather had in store for us. Betty enjoyed the Fisherman's Special with grits, while I had some tasty French toast. We talked more about Daytona Beach, what we had done,

I’ve spent a lot of time in Florida, but one place I haven’t visited much was Daytona Beach . When the tourism board contacted me about doing a trip, it didn’t take a lot of convincing. The plans went quickly into action with my friend Betty coming along for her first trip exploration with me. We had a very early flight out of Bloomington, Illinois, but the next one would have gotten us into Daytona too late in the day so we went for it and planned a fairly light day ahead. We had also decided to make our first stop to get in the downtime mood by finding a Groupon for manicures and pedicures at Aadvanced Bodyworx .  It was definitely relaxing and we were ready to get the flip flops on! Just down the road from the spa was Woody’s BBQ . Judging by the lunchtime crowd, it seemed to be a popular local place. We weren’t disappointed. We ordered combination plates and the roast turkey, mac n cheese, and coleslaw were delicious.  The pulled pork loo

Travel days where I have nothing to do are few and far between, but this one was especially wonderful since I had a beautiful beach and a spa to enjoy for the day. Lynn and I had been traveling through Croatia for nine days. Although I wouldn’t have done anything different, we were still exhausted. The Hotel Split was on a breathtaking beach and, since it was during the week, pretty quiet. We had every intention of taking advantage of that time in  Split . We enjoyed breakfast at the hotel with an amazing view. It was a pretty typical European breakfast for me of yogurt, fruit, cheese, and a croissant.  It’s odd how I like variety so much at home, but always seem to stick to this in Europe. After breakfast, we spent the morning walking and lounging on the beach. The Adriatic Sea was especially beautiful from Split and just gazing at it from different angles was a treat. When we arrived at  Hotel Split , I saw the spa specials and noticed that the H

After an exciting week with our Share Istria group , my friend Lynn and I were off on our own to explore more of Croatia. Our first stop was in Rijeka and we had a great first day there. In the morning, we had another great and filling Croatia breakfast after a good night’s sleep at the Grand Hotel Bonavia in Rijeka.  Before we headed back on the road we also had a chance to spend a bit of time in the Grand Hotel Bonavia Wellness Centre. I was extremely impressed with this spa that was complimentary to all guests. It included a relaxation area with chromo therapy, themed aromatherapy showers, a Finish Sauna, a Turkish Sauna, and a spa area where they offered massages. By the time we left there we were very relaxed and we hit the road to Split. Alenka, our guide the previous day , had told us a lot about the beach town of Krk so we made a short detour to check it out. It was indeed filled with beaches and a quaint downtown area along the water with a ma