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.

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