I Am Back!

05 Tuesday Nov 2013

Posted by thewendygirl in Just a Simple Update

Ciao everyone, I am back from Italy. I am trying to deal with the jet lag and get back to real life. This part is very hard, especially going through “fall back” twice (once in Rome and again here in the states). I am organizing my thoughts for my next posts. This is just a little posting to keep you updated.

My trip was wonderful! I figured out it was a “fat camp” with gelato and pizza. Yes, I did lose weight while eating what I wanted on vacation. How is that so? We walked so much and shared meals. I still managed to get all the flavors of Italy I wanted and not gain a pound. We all had a great time. It was a success. Now I need to get to work to relay all this information to you.

Ciao

Happy Halloween!

31 Thursday Oct 2013

Posted by thewendygirl in Just a Simple Update

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Happy Halloween from Venice, Italy. Italy was a blast. I loved everything and I will post everything when I get home.

Autumn on the Central Coast in California

13 Sunday Oct 2013

Posted by thewendygirl in Fun Trips

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The central coast has a lot to offer all year-long, but I love autumn the best. September and October has the most beautiful weather. We are usually blessed with an “Indian Summer”. Temperatures usually are between 70-85 degrees (Fahrenheit). The sunsets can be amazing, full of color. The colors of this season comes out in nature everywhere. We have our own type of fall foliage, it mostly presents itself in the grapevines and the veggies in season. This is a great time to visit the central coast, with a lot of fun things to see and do, for little or no money.

Please enjoy the pictures of a few things to see and do on the central coast. There are many ways to enjoy a nice vacation on a budget here, these are just a few of my suggestions.

Santa Barbara County Vintners Harvest Festival

Harvest Festival

Leaves starting to change. With views of the hills.

Grapevines in Santa Barbara County

The grapevines in the Fall is so beautiful. The leaves are just starting to change color.

Harvest time in the Fall on the Central Coast

The beautiful colors!

Vines and Lavender On Hwy 246

Refugio state beach, right off Hwy 101, just north of Santa Barbara. Camping available (reservations only).

Refugio at Sunset.

Jalama Beach good for surfing, kite surfing, tanning, camping, photos and to get a great burger!

Jalama Beach at sunset.

Jalama Beach cabins. There is first come camping, reservation camping and cabins.

Jalama burger it is as good as it looks and very much worth the drive to get one.

Jalama Beach sunset

Farmland in Santa Barbara County

Me and some pumpkins we picked at our friends farm.

The big farm with pumpkins, corn, and grapevines.

My daughter Holly and our friend Connor picking pumpkins on this beautiful farm.

Sky diving in Lompoc

Lompoc flower fields. These flowers can start growing in the spring and you can see flower fields thru out the year. These flowers have a lovely fragrance.

La Purisima Mission in Lompoc, Ca. This is a large mission with great walking trails, fountains and farmland.

Lompoc murals, these are on the side of many buildings all over town.

Lavender fields in Solvang, Ca.

Lavender fields in Paso Roblos off Hwy 101 North of San Luis Obispo.

Flowers in the market at Avila Barn, Avila Beach.

More flowers.

Beautiful pumpkins!

Squash and pumpkins at Avila Barns

Canned goods at Avila Barns

Pumpkins at Avila Barns.

Colorful veggies at Avila Barns, Avila Beach, Ca

*The photos were obtained by Chers Etheridge, Jalama beach, Jalama beach store, Refugio beach and Santa Barbara wines Facebook pages.

My Bucket List of Travel

04 Friday Oct 2013

Posted by thewendygirl in Fun Trips

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Lately I have been inspired by photographs of beautiful places. This inspiration led me to organize the pictures into a bucket list. I usually have a mental bucket list (bucket list: a number of experiences or achievements that a person hopes to have or accomplish during their lifetime). Here is my bucket list of places I would like to travel to. There is no particular order, because usually a fantastic deal dictates where I am going next.

Italy

Spain

Stockholm, Sweden

Turks and Caicos

Scotland

Thailand

Prague, Czech Republic

New Zealand

Morocco

Qatar

Machu Picchu, Peru

Krakow+Poland

Istanbul, Turkey

Ireland

Greece

Goa, India

Dubai

Croatia

Chichen Itza, Mexico

Budapest, Hungary

Brazil

Belgium

Bali, Indonesia

Australia

I would love to read your thoughts and your suggestions on places to add to my list. Happy travels!

*I did not take any of these pictures personally, I found them on the internet.

What to Wear When You Travel

25 Wednesday Sep 2013

Posted by thewendygirl in Useful Tips

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There is a certain preparation I do before I travel. A few months before I leave for a trip, I evaluate my wardrobe and then buy some new outfits. Always consider what the locals will be wearing in the places you are visiting.I have found personally that fitting in makes you feel a lot more comfortable, especially in a foreign country.Recently one of the blogs I follow oneika-the-traveller.com did a posting about this. She said dress conservatively and try to blend in. I find this advice a good excuse to buy new clothes.

Lets start with getting through security at the airport. Wear shoes which are easy to take on and off. Keep most of your jewelry and watches in your carry on until after you get through security, this goes for belts too. Take your jackets and cardigan sweaters off before you get in line.From my experience the baggier your clothes, the more likely you will get searched. Make sure if you have any liquids (4 oz or smaller) they go into a quart size plastic bag (for TSA regulations). I always drink my water before I go through and then fill it up on the other side at Starbucks or a restaurant (this can save you $4 not buying a new water bottle).

Always wear something comfortable when you travel. This does not mean your pajamas! All my life I flew standby and had to wear a dress, it was a strict dress code. I was thrilled when I could wear whatever I wanted, but I still try to look nice.I just read another blog the other day and it mentioned something about this. It was called “What your flight attendant really thinks of you”. Sometimes when the plane takes off, the flight attendants will upgrade people to business or first class. You have a better chance if you are dressed nice and neatly, well-groomed and are a pleasant person.There is more confidence and better attitude when you are presenting yourself nicely. Jeans are fine, just not ripped or ill fitted. Bring a jacket or sweater, sometimes it gets cold on the plane. Dress in layers because sometimes it gets hot.In the summer I wear sandals and in the colder weather I wear boots that I can pull on and off easy. I wear a watch too, it’s important to know the time while you are traveling.

I know when traveling to big cities (this is mainly addressed to women) the locals wear a lot of black. In the summer this is not so much the case, but the rest of the year it is. Certain churches you cannot go in unless your shoulders are covered and you cannot wear a skirt above your knee. Always check the dress code before you go.I like to pack with simple t-shirts (I add a scarf or necklace to dress it up), nice jeans, shorts (not too short, during warm weather), 1 or 2 skirts (obviously for the ladies), very comfortable boots and walking shoes, appropriate undergarments, something to sleep in and always bring your bathing suit.

There is a theory of packing older clothes that you do not want anymore and leaving them at the hotel. I kind of like this idea. Make sure you write a note on them letting the hotel staff know your intent to throw them away. You do not want them returned to you in the mail. I like to only check one bag when I am traveling overseas, because it is easier to handle one checked bag and one carry-on. In the states I will just take a carry-on, because there is usually a fee to check a bag. What I try to do is pack most of my clothes or the ones that are most important, in my carry-on. My checked bag is almost empty. On the way home I put all my souvenirs in my carry-on and my clothes in the checked bag. This way if my checked luggage gets lost on my outbound flight, I will not have to spend time shopping for something to wear when I arrive, and if it gets lost on my return flight I will still have all of the treasures I bought when I get home.

I hope this will be helpful to you in your travels. If you would like to share any of your own tips please leave comments below.

The Road Trip

21 Saturday Sep 2013

Posted by thewendygirl in Fun Trips

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I went on an impromptu road trip with my parents from California to South Carolina. I wanted to document my trip with pictures. Things that I could capture with the camera that were interesting to me. I have always wanted to drive across country, it was something to see. A few travel tips I learned along the way are: Pack a cooler and lots of snacks,this will cut down on stopping and save you money. Sign up for the rewards card at gas stations, there are perks to those cards which are quite handy (money-saving). Bring pillows to help make the seats a little more comfortable. Play the license plate game, it is very entertaining and helps the driver pass the time. Have your camera ready at all times. It is a great help to have a smart phone, this helps finding hotels on a budget. If you can take your time, stop and see all the beautiful things our country has to offer.

The Mojave Desert

God is an amazing artist!

Beautiful sunset out in the desert between Arizona and New Mexico

Me on the corner of Winslow, Arizona.

The clouds entertained me the whole trip.

It looked like a rainbow tornado.

The sign says “Welcome to Winslow”

Beautiful clouds

Another pretty sunset.

Support our troops sign.

This was a rain cloud out in the distance in New Mexico.

This also made the “Interesting List”

Big cross. Notice the building to the left. This give the scale on how big this was. Everything is big in Texas.

The leaning water tower. I guess its been this way for years.

We kept passing his trucks, I know he had just finished his concert in Las Vegas, now heading somewhere in Texas.

I love seeing “Old Glory” on the road trip.

Some trees that were knocked down by the tornadoes in Oklahoma.

I do not know what this is but it made the “Interesting list”.

Mississippi River

My mom and dad in North Carolina

Odd shape in the Smokey Mountains.

Some wild flowers in North Carolina

Oh yes, I had to put this wonderful sign with the road trip pictures.

This one is self explanatory.

My visit to Charleston, SC

16 Monday Sep 2013

Posted by thewendygirl in Fun Trips

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It’s a wonderful city and I have to do a few posts to show some of the charm of one of my favorite places. I was trying to capture not your typical tourist pictures. There are a lot of places such as Rainbow Row and the Market that I chose not to feature. Those are the places everyone posts. I wanted a little bit of a fresher view. I hope you enjoy. Please let me know what you think.

This distillery is on Wadhwa Island not far from downtown.

A sign hanging on the wall at Irvin Winery.

This is the sign on the door at Firefly Distillery.

My mom and I having a good time at the Irvin winery (I am a little short)

Outside of downtown Charleston is a tree called “Angel Oak”. Nobody knows how old it is exactly. When I was a kid we could climb on it, now it is being supported and your not allowed on it.

This is the Circular Church and in the distance you can see another steeple. Charleston is known as the “Holy City”, the city has so many churches.

The churches and sometimes houses have graveyards besides them.

Thank God Sheri shaved her leg, ha ha. Does anyone know what this is?

The Four Corners of Law, on the left City Hall ( law of the city), on the right County Courthouse (law of the county), diagonal to the right is the United States Post Office and Courthouse (law of federal) and then across the street to the left St. Michael’s Church (law of God).

St. Michael’s Church one of the buildings known as The Four Corners of Law. This is the law of God.

Looking down Meeting Street south of Broad St.

Beautiful window box. I love them.

In the backyard of a Charleston home, there is a joggling board. Joggling boards rock and joggle up and down.

More iron work and window boxes.

“The Three Sisters” up there on my favorite list. Mainly because I am one of 3 girls. Legend is, this father was trying to get his daughters married. He built each daughter a house as a dowry. I am not sure if it worked.

Another amazing porch

The Battery Park. Black Beard was hung from one of these trees.

Look at this history. I haven’t seen a pay phone in a long time so I had to get this picture.

More iron work of Charleston.

Most of the ceilings of the porches are painted blue to keep the birds and some bugs from nesting. The birds think its water and wont nest near water.

Side porch of a house downtown

I love the iron work in Charleston.

Eli’s Table Downtown Charleston, SC

10 Tuesday Sep 2013

Posted by thewendygirl in Fun Trips

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On our (my sister, Sheri, and myself) adventures of walking around downtown Charleston, SC we stumbled onto Eli’s table.I was taking pictures for the blog and saw the wonderful “Fork-de-lis” design on their window. Since I love the fleur-de-lis, I naturally was drawn to it. I was thankful too because this place is so good. The staff is extremely hospitable, the atmosphere is very pleasant, and the food is fabulous. Sheri and I try shrimp n grits where ever we go, this is definitely at the top of our favorites list. The portions are large, thank God we shared ours. We loved it so much we had to go back the next morning for breakfast. Sheri really wanted to try their sweet potato pancakes and I wanted to try their banana blueberry powdered sugar pancakes.Those were amazing too. I highly recommend Eli’s Table for any meal of the day. Please check out their website http://elistable.com/ and definitely visit them while you’re in Charleston, SC.

Eli’s Table my new favorite restaurant in Charleston, SC

The cover of the menu with the “fork-de-lis”, it is so cute!

Shrimp n Grits ~My Favorite~ this is just half the serving, my sister and I shared the dish.

The staff at Eli’s Table.

Wonderful People of Charleston, SC

08 Sunday Sep 2013

Posted by thewendygirl in Fun Trips

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My sister and I walked around Charleston taking pictures for the blog. We met some very fun, sweet people. All of them having a great time in one of my favorite cities.

The staff at Eli’s Table.

Young Life member and her mother.

“Wet Willies” in Charleston, SC

Sheri and Joanna

Lovely Sisters having a girls weekend

This guy and I took each others pictures.

The girls from Colombia, SC

This fun family stopping by the Firefly Distillery.

The fireman and his wife at the Irvin winery.

My mom and I having a good time at the Irvin winery.

The girls pouring for us at the Firefly Distillery

The woman that poured for us at Irvin winery.

Great Sky Mileage Deal

24 Saturday Aug 2013

Posted by thewendygirl in Fun Trips

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Your message has been sent

A few weeks ago, I was working at the winery and I met this girl. We were talking about traveling (imagine that) and she said she heard of a deal with US Air. She didn’t know all the details. She said “You can get to Europe, business class, for 90,000 miles”. Of course I was drawn to that topic. I needed to know more. After several searches here is what I found out:

For this current special I found there isn’t much time. This offer is good until August 31, 2013. Read more about it at this link http://shopping.usairways.com/en-US/dividendmiles/programdetails/purchasemiles/default.html?cint=milspcl_scr_290x175_21162 . This a great deal especially if you buy between 30,000 and 50,000 miles. This is a 100% bonus. For example, if you buy 45,000 miles you will get 45,000 miles as a bonus. You do not have to use them right away. You can save them and use them for a few less ambitious trips or use them all at once to book business class to somewhere really special.

Click this link to a blog I found for helpful tips on maximizing your miles in one trip. It is great that it gives detailed instructions for getting to Asia via Europe: http://boardingarea.com/onemileatatime/2013/01/10/how-to-plan-a-us-airways-90000-mile-award-from-the-us-to-asia-via-europe/ . The really good thing is US Air is partnered up with many good airlines via the “Star Alliance” network. This is demonstrated in this blog as well. They make it relatively convenient to get just about anywhere you could possibly want to travel to. The first thing to do is sign up for an account if you don’t already have one. Then buy your miles. Here’s a link to a very helpful guide to the process: http://www.usairways.com/en-US/dividendmiles/programdetails/memberguide.html . It will answer all your questions. At the bottom is the mileage chart (this chart breaks down the mileage you need for the type of travel you are booking).

I hope some of you will take advantage of this great deal. I would think from time to time each airline offers mileage specials. Please let me know if you spot any. I love to pass on great deals to everyone. Happy traveling.

I called on the 31st to check on the mileage bonus. It is expired now but, they do run that promotion with the bonus mile often. I will try to keep you updated.