The World Is Our Oyster - 2023

Everyone - Live, love, and travel because the world is our oyster and life is short. In 2023, we continued our businesses and travels. We planned group trips and continued to scout new places for our upcoming book (stay tuned). We took some of the most amazing trips in 2023. The top of the list is the safari we took to Tanzania and then the beach trip to Zanzibar. We saw all of the big 5 animals. We stayed in the Serengeti at the Ole Serai Luxury Camps. While there, we met some of the most amazing young people who we are keeping in touch with to this day. We heard lions and elephants just outside of our glamping rooms. We saw elephants up close and personal, leopards roaming across the plains, lions by the dozens, we saw two black rhinoceroses, many water buffalo, hippopotamuses, and the list goes on and on. The cradle of life at Olduvai Gorge is absolutely stunning. The whole trip was like the movie the Lion King brought to life. God created a beautiful world for all of us to see and explore. It is a once in a lifetime trip. We are planning a group safari through our travel business so stay tuned for more information on that. We hosted a group trip to Curacao and had a lovely time. We rented a bed and breakfast but would not recommend that location. So, we are not naming it here. However, the Avila Beach Hotel has a great beach and helpful staff. The rooms and amenities are on the minimalist side but it is a nice hotel with an excellent beach. I would give it 3.5 stars. We also went to Myrtle Beach which is a yearly staple. It is a great beach with lots of opportunity to have family fun. We also explored Asia, going to both Hong Kong and Macau China. Hong Kong is one of our favorite cities in the world. The people are amazing, the food is excellent, and luxury is everywhere you look. There is luxury store after luxury store, expensive car after expensive car and a ton of wonderful restaurants. We rode the tram to The Peak and had dinner overlooking Hong Kong. It was amazing!! I could definitely note some differences from when I visited Hong Kong while under British control vs. visiting under Chinese control. Nonetheless, Hong Kong remains a must see location in the world. We also went to Macau China from Hong Kong. Macau is the Las Vegas of Asia. It is truly a city of lights, casinos, extravagant hotels, amazing shopping and food. I highly recommend visiting. To get there we rode across a 34 mile bridge between Hong Kong and Macau. That alone was a new experience much less the beauty and awe of Macau itself. We also visited our friends to the north in Canada. We spent time in Vancouver Canada which is a lovely city. We thoroughly enjoyed all of the sights and parks. We drove to Seattle, Washington and visited the fish market and Seattle Waterfront. Both Vancouver and Seattle are stunning. My husband loves both areas. I am more in love with Toronto than Vancouver because of the theaters, baseball, and other entertainment venues in Toronto. I did greatly enjoy the beauty of Vancouver though. Finally, we visited Sydney and Melbourne in Australia. The Land Down Under offers so many sights and things to do. We had an awesome time. We attended a concert at the Sydney Opera House, what an amazing venue. We went on a boat ride and saw a number of whales swimming and breaching, jumping out of the water repeatedly so close to the boat. We walked through the botanical gardens and walked the city. We had great food and great company. We also visited Melbourne. We both actually liked Melbourne more than Sydney. Melbourne offered the theater and urban walkable areas, shopping, and a very different feel than Sydney. We saw a play and really soaked in the culture. As I started by saying, the world is our oyster and life is short. Live, love, and travel!! Stay tuned for our forthcoming travel guidebook.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Always A New Part of This Wonderful World to See

Our 2022  Travels We had amazing  travels  in 2022. We went to Costa Rica, Myrtle Beach, New York, Spain, Las Vegas, Atlanta, and  toured our new home base in Florida. We explored brand  new places which were Costa Rica, the Netherlands and  Spain. Part of the goal of  travel  should be to experience new things, learn new things, explore different cultures, and  enjoy yourself. I know many people who  travel  to the same places over and over or go to the same types of places (Caribbean only, Europe only, etc.). Carl and I want to see the whole world so our  blog  will reflect that. Every year,  we try to  travel  somewhere we have not been before and let you know about those places as well as go to some of our  favorite (or place for me) locations. Let's start with our favorite destination of 2022, Spain. Spain made our place for me list. We traveled to Barcelona, Madrid, and the Canary Islands (Fuertev...
Read more

It Just Keeps Getting Better - 2019 Year In Review

Friends - God is good! We thank the Lord for His mercy and His grace. His word is true!! God has shown that He has a plan for our lives, a wonderful future and a hope. He has opened up the windows of heaven and has poured out blessings that we do not have room enough to hold.  In 2019, Carl and I definitely lived, loved, and traveled. As far as living, we had ups and one major down. We lost the matriarch of our family after 87 years of her beautiful spirit gracing this planet. We know she is in heaven and we will see her again when we take our final trip to our heavenly home. It was our privilege and honor to be her primary caregivers for a number of years! Rest in peace Mom!! In other aspects of life, we had great life accomplishments and successes personally and professionally. God is an awesome and faithful God! As far as loving, we grew more in love with each other and grew even closer, although both of our hearts ache for our loved one that we loved so much and lost. ...
Read more

Travel is Like a Box of Chocolates!

Travel  in 2021 was like a box of chocolates. You never knew what you were going to get. However, we were all excited to just be able to  travel  again, even if there were limitations and restrictions. We had to research whether we needed a COVID-19 test to enter certain countries, whether we needed a COVID-19 test to re-enter the USA, and what documents or insurance were required to enter the various countries. Even with all of the additional requirements, we traveled to Akumal, Cancun, NYC, Los Cabos, St. Martin, Myrtle Beach, Pompano Beach, Atlanta, and Punta Cana. We decided to go to some places where we had been and also explore a few new places. We wanted to continue to expand our  travel  experience even in these difficult times. We realized more than ever that life is short and we need to live each day to the fullest. So many good people are no longer with us and our condolences are with their families! As a testament t...
Read more