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July 14, 2015

The Perfect Vacation by Chris Keniston and Kathy Ivan

The Perfect Vacation – Chris Keniston and the Beach

My bucket list of interesting places grows longer every year. I'd love to walk the Great Wall of China.  I'd like to stand in the center of Timbuktu.  But I'd especially like to have lunch in an ocean restaurant in Bali.  Yes. I mean one of those places where the table and chairs are in the water. The crystal clear aqua blue warm water.
And if you can't tell, I am most definitely a beach person.  I love the ocean, the sand, the sound of the waves rushing ashore.  And have you noticed how the food always tastes better by the sea?  

My mother and I had the best ever Macaroni and Cheese in Bermuda. 

Now I know a lot of people love the mountains. Some of the views are mind boggling. A friend of mine recently sent me a photo from the Grand Canyon – also on my bucket list - that left me breathless.


Of course my biggest problems with mountains is they tend to come with other interesting and often frightening sights, like bears.






The Perfect Vacation – Kathy Ivan and the Mountains 

As a girl born and raised in Florida (Miami and Key West) before moving to Texas, I can attest to the wonders of living by the beach.  Lots of sun, sand, and beautiful water.  But, after a while, it all becomes kind of ho hum.  Plus there are things in the water that can eat me just as fast as the above-mentioned bear.  LOL



So what's the opposite of the beach?  Switching my latitude brings a change in my attitude.  Why not head up into the mountains?  You can get solitude away from the day-to-day rat race, away from the maddening crowd.  Depending on the time of year, you can spend your summer in a cabin in the woods by a lake.  Maybe sit on the docks and watch the deer feeding along the shoreline.  Watch the ducks flying south, while you dangle your feet in the cool waters.



In the wintertime, imagine curling up by the fire at a resort in the mountains, with the snow falling outside, a cup of hot cocoa in your hand.  The ski slopes of Switzerland.  A chalet in the Italian Alps.  Visiting the fjords in Sweden and Denmark.  Or I can even stay closer to home, because Colorado is just a day's drive away and they have some of the best winter sports around. 


Of course, sitting beside a roaring fire, with a glass of wine, and the handsome ski instructor by my side – I may never go home. 



So that begs the question – if you had your druthers, where would you want to go on vacation this summer?  Chris votes for that restaurant in Bali.  Kathy is already halfway to the Swiss Alps!  

4 comments:

Cathy McElhaney said...

Oh, so many places! I would love to visit my on line friend in England! Or my niece in Colorado. My heart is pulled to my hometown, Pittsburgh Pa, because I haven't been there in 2 years and, of course, the pull of the ocean tugs at me, too. A quick trip to Galveston might be doable, but he others are out of reach at the moment.

Kathy Ivan said...

Hi Cathy,

There are dozens and dozens of places I want to visit, but nowadays they are usually armchair visits. Though I really do want to go back to Key West, just to see how much it has changed since the last time I was there (which was so long ago I won't even mention the years). But I'm really wanting to be somewhere cool right now, because it's so darn hot here. Went out to get in the car yesterday and it said it was 108 degrees inside the interior. Snow is looking pretty good right now. LOL

chris keniston said...

Cathy my mother and I used to go to Galveston every year for her birthday- she too is a beach person - there was on restaurant - don't remember the name that served the best lobster bisque! I just keep adding places to that list ! :)

Phyllis said...

I would love to go back to Ireland. It was beautiful and I enjoyed the people so very much. I'm a Colorado native, so I LOVE my mountains...climbing them and dangling my feet off a cliff while taking in the sun and beauty.

BUT, I also love the ocean. Swimming and snorkeling with the creatures, holding some of the wonders of the sea in my hands and taking pictures of the world below the surface.

I admit it. I am a water baby and a mountain gal!