2012.  Really?  It’s 2012 already?  At times it seemed like it would never get here, while other times I wanted a few more hours in a day and days in a week.

I’m taking some much enjoyed time off over the holiday season, but I’ll be back into the swing of traveling in just a few more days.  So what do you say, why don’t you come along with me?

Happy New Year!  And may 2012 bring you happy travels and the prosperity to fund them!

Photo credit:  SXC

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I’m really getting into the holidays spirit.  The tree is up and decorated, I’ve baked and eaten a few holiday cookies, and I found myself humming “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” the other day.  I had a day in the city last week and a couple more scheduled for this week, and seeing the city come alive with decorations and a festive spirit just fills my heart.

There are plenty of free, or nearly free, way to enjoy the holidays in Seattle.  If you’re looking for a bit more of a holiday splurge (and well worth every penny), the Four Seasons Seattle has some decadent holiday options.

Season of Wishes

A holiday brunch kicks off the season in a fundraiser for the Make-A-Wish Foundation is sure to leave you with a joy-filled heart.  The event includes a plated breakfast, a commemorative photo with Santa, and the opportunity to create some holiday-themed crafts to take home.  You’ll also get a look at some art created by local area wish children as they interpret their wish experience.  If you find something that moves you, you’ll have the opportunity to purchase their artwork.

• Date:  Sunday, December 4, 2011; 9-11 am
• Tickets:  Reservation required and available by phone or email.  $50 adults; $25 children.

A Chocolate Holiday Buffet

This gets my vote for one of the more decadent events of the season with a great combination of chocolate (!) and Larry.  Don’t know who Larry is?  He’s the dog from the “Larry Gets Lost” book series by author and illustrator John Skewes.  The kids can enjoy a book-reading session of “Larry Gets Lost in Seattle” while chocolate lovers face temptation with the chocolate buffet bar filled with creations like triple chocolate mousse cake, chocolate croquembouche double chocolate cheesecake, chocolate tiramisu and cocoa dusted cotton candy, white chocolate milkshakes, Larry’s M&M brownie bars, and more.  I’m crushed that my schedule has be flying these dates so am going to try to assuage my depression over it with a little stop off at Fran’s for some bespoke chocolates.

• Dates:  December 4, 11, 18, 2011;  3-5 pm
• Tickets:  $20 adults; $12 kids ages 6-12

New Year’s Eve Bash

If you’re looking for a classic night out on the town, with a modern twist, enjoy ART Lounge on New Year’s Eve with a DJ spinning dance music with videos projected on screens around the lounge.  It’s sure to be a festive atmosphere, with good food, drinks, and dancing, as party goers countdown the last minutes of 2011.

• Date:  December 31, 2011, 9 pm-2 am
• Price:  Complementary for hotel guests and those dining at ART restaurant; $30 for non-hotel or non-restaurant guests.

New Year’s Eve Late Snack cART

An upscale take on a traditional food cart, this late-night snack venue will feature some of ART Restaurant’s favorite bar snacks and appetizers:  beef and veggie mini burgers, BBQ pulled pork or seafood tacos and Uli’s pork banger on a bun, with an array of condiments and toppings, soft drinks and sodas.  After a little liquid cheer, no matter where you’re partying, pop into the hotel restaurant and grab a bite.  If you’re out watching the fireworks off the Space Needle, you can stop by for something warm to get your through.  The cart will stay open into the wee hours, so remember that a little food before bed came help keep the next day’s hangover at bay.  I’ll be out watching the fireworks off the Space Needle, and stopping by for a little food cart warm-me-up sounds like a good idea.

• Date: December 31, 2011; 9 pm-3 am
• Food prices:  All snacks priced at $5

Eggs Galore

Start off 2012 with an all-Eggs Benedict brunch menu that includes creative options like classic Eggs Benedict, lobster, southwestern, and the very popular southern style with Uli’s Sausage, biscuits and gravy all complemented with a wide variety of “morning after” beverages.

• Date:  January 1, 2012, 8 am- 2 pm
• Prices:  $24 for the buffet; menu items range $19-$22

If you’re holiday celebrations including little ones, you’ll appreciate that children ages 5 and under dine free in ART restaurant when accompanied by an adult.  And the complimentary valet parking on Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve means a little savings that can come in handy this time of year.

Of course, you could just enjoy one of my favorite treats at the Four Seasons Seattle – head out to the pool deck and enjoy a beverage, some quiet conversation, and a beautiful Seattle sunset around the fire pit (in photo above).

Location:  Four Seasons Seattle and ART Restaurant are located at 99 Union Street, Seattle

Photo credit:  From the author’s personal collection

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I didn’t go shopping on Black Friday.  I felt no need to join in the throngs who mobbed stores at midnight or lined up even earlier.  As I think about the approaching holiday season, I realize how little I need and how much I have.  It may be a perspective  that has come with age, or perhaps it’s the realization that I want to collect experiences and memories rather than stuff.  I’m not sure which it is – but I’m happy being in that space.  This isn’t to say that I don’t enjoy the holiday season.  I do.  Very much.  I love the decorations and lights, the music and scents, a bit of winter cold in the air and a little bit of glow around it all.

I’ll be heading into Seattle next week and can’t wait to see some of the holiday sights in the city.  While there are plenty of big to-dos and splashy events, some of the traditional and special events are free or have a very modest charge.  Here are just a few of the things I’m looking forward to seeing and doing in Seattle this holiday season.

1. Antique Teddy Bear Display at Fox’s Gem Shop – Over 100 antique teddy bears and Americana collectible fill the windows, each window having its own special theme.  If you think jewelry windows are works of art, you’ll find these holiday windows even more spectacular.  And the displays are all filled with items from the store owners personal collection.  This year look for the the Typewriter Window, a tribute to store founder Sid Thal (his daughter currently owns the jewelry store) that features a typewriter from the early 1900s and an old Seattle Times apron with pouches used to collect change when selling newspapers in the 1950s.  The decorative displays will be up until the end of December, when jewelry returns to the windows once again.
2. Cookie Fest (December 10th, 2011) – Thousands and thousands of cookies from the area’s best bakeries and culinary schools go on sale with proceeds going to benefit the Seattle Milk Fund.  The sale is at the Downtown Macy’s (1601 3^rd Avenue, 3^rd floor, The Stewart Street Room) with doors opening at 9 am.  Cookies are priced at $15 for a baker’s dozen (13 cookies).
3. Seattle Center Winterfest – An annual celebration of winter full of music, entertainment, performances, arts and crafts.  Check out the railroad display in the Center House, watch the ice sculpting, or lace up some skates for a turn around the rink.  Winterfest runs through the end of December.
4. Toyland Village – A dazzling lighted walk-through village display in Seattle’s Waterfront Park that features over 50 lighted sculptures of your favorite childhood toys.  The village is open daily (through January 1st) till 10 pm.
5. Ride the Holiday Carousel – Another tradition, the carousel lights up Westlake Park with fun and frivolity.  Proceeds support the Downtown Seattle Association and Treehouse.  The carousel will be in operation through January 1st, 2012.
6. Teddy Bear Suite – Two lavishly decorated suites at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel (411 University Street) are filled with all things teddy bears.  Visitors are welcome to take a look, snap some photos, and get caught up in the joys of a teddy bear holiday season.  Open through December 26th, 10 am – 7 pm.
7. Pacific Place Winter Wonderland – Musical performances and a simulated snow storm every night at 6 pm.  Through December December 31st.
8. Gingerbread Village – This is the 19th year for this special event that teams the culinary team at the Seattle Sheraton with top architectural firms from around town to create a larger-than-life village in the hotel’s lobby.  The village is on display through January 2nd.  All donations go to support Juvenile Diabetes.
9. Argosy Christmas Ship Festival – Decorated with thousands of lights, the Spirit of Seattle (the official Christmas Ship) leads a flotilla of brightly lit boats to waterfront communities around Puget Sound.  Singing performances on the ship are broadcast out to viewers on shore.  There are several ways to participate:  on the Christmas Ship, in your own boat, or watching from the shore.  The parade schedule goes through December 23rd.
10. Visit Santa – Perhaps the quintessential holiday experience is a visit to Santa.  You have two options, both centered at two local department stores – Macy’s (3rd & Pine) Santaland and Nordstrom’s (6th & Pine) Santa Lane.  The kids can sit on Santa’s lap, talk about whether they’ve been naughty or nice, and have photos taken.

Concluding the Holiday Season, and one of my favorite events, is the fireworks display lit off the top of the Seattle Space Needle on New Year’s Eve.  Splurge for a spot at the Needle, watch from the ground, or take advantage of one of the many hotel packages that offer a view and countdown to the midnight pyrotechnics and the welcoming in of 2012.

Photo credit:  SXC

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It’s customary to think about the things we are thankful for at Thanksgiving time, and I suppose I’m not one to break with tradition.  I do know, however, that I need to celebrate those things for which I am thankful on a more every day basis, so let today be day one – day one of being more consciously thankful every single day.

I am thankful for -

• My health.  Despite some broken bones and other health issues this past year I am joyful to wake up every day long before the alarm goes off (well, except for those really early morning flights).
• Family (by birth or by choice) who love and care about me, and I about them.
• Good friends whom I adore, and who make the journey through life that much more interesting, exciting, and fun.  I’m very happy to have added some new friends to my circle this year.
• A wonderful business opportunity in starting The Travelers Way.  After doing this travel blogging thing for other companies for years, I had the opportunity to go out on my own with a new online travel magazine.  What a learning opportunity it’s been!  And it’s opened doors for more opportunities to come.
• Advisors.  I’m fortunate to have a group of mentors, business associates, and partners who I can rely upon for advice, thoughtful discussions and debates, inspiration, and motivation.  Thanks for keeping me honest and on track.
• Travel.  Yeah, there’s been some ups and downs in the industry and it’s not as smooth and easy as it used to be.  But it’s still pretty darn amazing that we can get on an airplane on one continent, take a nap, and hours later wake up on another one.  Air travel is fast, safe, and relatively inexpensive.
• Loyal readers, at all my travel sites, because without readers I wouldn’t get to do what I love to do – travel and share it with others.

Chances are, if you’re reading this, you see yourself in one (or more) of that list above.  Please know that every single day I am thankful for YOU.  And I hope on this Thanksgiving Day 2011 that your heart is as brimming with thanks as mine.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Photo credit:  David Castillo Dominici / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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July 4th, 2011.  In the United States it was a holiday celebrating the 235th anniversary of the country’s independence.

Back home friends had get-togethers with family and friends.  There were steaks, chicken, and burgers on the grill.  There was time for a game of baseball, badminton, or maybe a little time to be out on the water.  There was probably ice cream, watermelon, beer, and plenty of good natured fun.  When it was finally dark, the fireworks came out – whether they were the safe and sane sparklers, the bigger fire power purchased on the reservation, or the even bigger powered community displays.  The weather looked like it was fairly nice (and that’s a real blessing in Seattle right now) and I’m guessing it was a pretty good day all around.

But here in Italy, July 4th, 2011 was simply a Monday, a little cooler, a little cloudier, but just a Monday.

We slept in a little bit, spent some time by the pool, and then headed off to see the town of Pitigliano.

Pitigliano seemed like it was out in the middle of nowhere – but then you round a bend in the road and you see the town seemingly growing out of a rock formation.  It’s both on top of the rocks and growing out of the rocks, and is one of the most dramatic sights I’ve seen here in Italy (and there have been some pretty dramatic ones).

Pitigliano is basically a volcanic ridge that is located at the meeting point of two rivers.  The caves carved into the landscape their date back to Etruscan times, and if you peer into the canyon you can see the waterfalls caused by the rivers.  It’s much like other medieval towns in that there are a hodgepodge of cobbled streets and narrow alleyways spurring off in all different directions in a haphazard way.  Follow one or another and you’ll see much the same thing – stone buildings, flowers growing everywhere there’s a free spot, and people going about daily life.

The main attraction in the town is the Palazzo Orsini, the 16th century residence of the prominent Orsini family.  Other interesting sights include the remains of a 14th century aqueduct (in the middle of the town) and and 18th century cathedral.  Personally, I suggest wandering through the town and stopping for gelato when you need a break, maybe even stopping more than once.

When we got back to the farmhouse where we are staying there was a large group of Italian travelers finishing up their evening meal.  As is so typical here, we were invited to join them.  Wine was being poured (along with grappa), and conversation was lively even though we knew very little of one another’s language.  Oh, and they passed around watermelon, too.  I guess it wasn’t all that different from back at home.

The Euro to Dollar valuation makes travel to Europe less of a buy that is was last year, but it is still VERY doable.  Look for cheap deals on holidays abroad to find something that fits your budget and then make the most of every single day you’re there.

We’re coming into the home stretch of our holiday – just another couple of days – and I’m already making a list of things that I want to check out on the next trip.

Photo credit:  from the author’s personal collection

NOTE:  This post is sponsored by Direct Holidays; the experiences and opinions are solely those of the author.

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St. Patrick’s Day may have started as a religious holiday, recognizing the patron saint of Ireland, but today most people experience it as a most secular event.  It’s still a public holiday in Ireland, Newfoundland and Labrador and Montserrat, with plenty of celebrations around the world that include parades and turning everything green.

I’m traveling today, but have added a special green item to my uniform!

How are you celebrating St. Patrick’s Day?

Photo credit: SXC

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I’m currently on a plane (yay inflight wi-fi), heading to Shreveport-Bossier for my first Mardi Gras celebration.  When I was younger, the idea of partying and whooping it up at this quintessentially decadent holiday had great appeal with all the drinking, parades, and beads.  Somewhere along the way to adulthood, the allure faded and the idea of a Mardi Gras celebration had more appeal in my mind that in my reality.

At a recent travel event, however, I had the opportunity to meet and chat with some lovely people from the Shreveport-Bossier Convention & Tourist Bureau.  I’ve never been to Shreveport, but they shared the knowledge and enthusiasm about their area, and convinced me that Mardi Gras there was just as much fun, while still being primarily family friendly.  Sure, there were still some of the traditional activities – parades, beads, and plenty of partying – but it was dialed back a notch,

Hmmm. . . it sounded interesting.  I wanted to learn more.  And so today I’m heading there (as a guest of the Shreveport-Bossier Convention & Tourist Bureau) to experience their version of Mardi Gras.  And I’m pretty darned excited about it!  The itinerary includes parades, a Bal, some sightseeing, and plenty of food and drink.  Sounds like a great way to spend the weekend, and I’m looking forward to seeing what these cities on the “other side” of Louisiana, along the banks of the Red River, have to offer, not just during Mardi Gras but as a weekend getaway in general.

I’ll be checking in our Foursquare and tweeting about what I’m doing all weekend, so feel free to keep up on where I am and what I think about it all.  While this is a sponsored trip, you can count on independent and honest opinions.

If you’re looking for your own Mardi Gras festivities, consider some of these other top celebration sites:

• New Orleans, Louisiana – Home to the largest, and probably the most well-known Mardi Gras celebration in the U.S.,
• St Louis, Missouri – Not often associated with Mardi Gras, St. Louis has one of the largest Mardi Gras celebrations in the Midwest.
• San Diego – Now in its 17th year, San Diego is trying to give New Orleans a run for their money.  Party central is the Gaslamp Quarter, and during the celebration is off-limits to those under 21 years of age.
• Mobile, Alabama – Mobile boasts the longest Mardi Gras celebration in the U.S., and festivities officially got underway two months ago.  The Mobile Carnival Museum chronicles the history of the holiday, and the first celebration of Fat Tuesday back around 1703.
• Miami, Florida – Always hot and sultry, South Beach puts their own special spin to the holiday.  The weather, and the partying, are hot, hot, hot!

Photo credit:  SXC

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I love Thanksgiving!  It’s probably my favorite holiday!  I really try to make Thanksgiving a day of rest, relaxation, some good food and company, a good bottle of wine, and a day of reflection.

This is not the day that I beat myself up over all the things that I haven’t done, nor a day that I schedule tasks back-to-back.  I call a moratorium  on nagging.  There will be no regrets or head hanging.

Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a day to celebrate all the wonderful blessing of life:

• Family (by birth or by choice)
• Friends
• Food (I’m staying at home and cooking this year)
• Wine to accompany life’s journey
• A roof over my head and clothes on my back
• A job that allows me to travel
• And a second job that allows me to write about.it

I’m thankful for so many things this year, and my wish for you is that your Thanksgiving is as full of happiness and thanks as mine.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Photo credit: SXC

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Veterans Day was first observed on November 19th, 1919 by a proclamation from Woodrow Wilson celebrating the signing of the Armistice that ended World War I.  The Congress, a number of years later, passed additional legislation that made the day a legal holiday and calling it Armistice Day, a day dedicated to the cause of world peace.

Tomb of the Unknowns in Washington DC

The holiday was eventually expanded to celebrate the service all veterans, not merely those from World War I.  In 1954, President Dwight Eisenhower signed a new law declaring the holiday to be known as Veterans Day,

It is both a federal and state holiday, observed in all 50 states, although many businesses, schools, and local government to not close for the day.  Around the world, other countries also observe the day, although it is generally known as Armistice Day or Remembrance Day.

Please take a moment and thank a veteran today.

Photo credit:  wikimedia

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Today is a federal holiday here in the United States as we celebrate Marting Luther King Jr. Day.

The holiday was created by legislation and signed into law by President Reagan on November 2nd, 1983.  The legislation established the third Monday of each January as a federal holiday honoring Dr. King.

It was first observed on January 20th, 1986.  By the time of its observance in January 2000 all states official observed the holiday.  (I scratch my head over why it took some of the states so long to get onboard, but it’s not surprise that there were lots of politics involved!)

This year’s observation is made even more poignant as it comes the day before we inaugurate the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama.

Image credit:  wikimedia

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