A Swift September – Travel News & Fall Activities

travel news

September Travel News & More! In my last newsletter update, I wrote that August was a whirlwind of activity, and to be perfectly honest, September was no slower! Our September travel news found us in the pumpkin fields of Seattle, the mountains of the Rockies, and in the gardens of California. A wonderful month! Garden …

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Late Summer Update – An Exhilarating August

Summer sunset on Lake Washington

August Adventures! Out of the gate, we started the month of August on a full run. The summer flew by this year! August was especially wonderful as our twin grandchildren celebrated their fourth birthday. Their Mom baked a three-tier “Funfetti” and chocolate cake topped with a ring of sprinkles (Josie’s favorite). They were joined by …

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Mid-Summer Update: Garden Abundance, A Wine Weekend & More!

summer

It’s the middle of summer and it is going by too fast! Do you feel that too? Here’s to a mid-summer check-in. How’s your summer going? Is it going by far too fast? The weather in the Pacific Northwest has been spectacular! We traveled to Southern California, and although it is always beautiful, it was HOT! …

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Feels Like Summer! Local Fun & A Foodie’s Dream

summer in Mt Vernon

Summer is almost here!! Summer is fast approaching, and I am looking forward to it. My birthday is June 16th, which always coincides with the Opening of Summer for me! It is the time of year for Dads and Grads and lots of family celebrations. This month is always so festive! We will be celebrating …

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Spring Travel News, Favorite Bits & Bites

spring travel

travel news

Travel News for Spring

Spring is in full bloom in the Northwest. Blue skies, tulips popping up, and wild daffodils sprouting everywhere. It feels good!

I decided to write a short “newsy” letter to all of you, catching you up and keeping you in the loop. I don’t know about you, but social media can be exhausting and frustrating, and I never seem to see what I am looking for. Frankly, I am too busy to go searching, but I would love to learn about new things from inside my inbox and not have them disappear (like an Instagram Story) in 24 hours! So here we go!

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The Wonderful Smells of Life in the Pacific Northwest & Other Observations

smells of life in the Northwest

life in the Pacific Northwest

What are the smells of life that evoke an emotional response? I have so many, do you?

Ah, the wholly different and wonderful smells of my new life in the Northwest.  

Back in 2014 when I began Adventures of Empty Nesters, I wrote a post called, Do certain smells trigger a rush of memories for you? and it was all about smell memories and my family. 

I have always associated certain smells with people, places, and experiences. Maybe it was a perfume my teacher wore, or the aroma of a glorious meal while traveling, or the familiar scents of the holidays. Do you associate meaningful smells with exceptional memories?

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Our Move to the Pacific Northwest: An Update & Kirkland, WA Pictorial!

move to the Pacific Northwest

A Six Month Update!                    

Our Crazy Move to the Pacific Northwest!

Our move to the Pacific Northwest has been challenging, sad, wet, sunny, exciting, exhilarating, and so very different from our old life.

Back in Southern California, we had downsized and renovated our Empty Nest, which was just perfect for two. We enjoyed our small, quaint home, relaxing back yard, proximity to family and friends, and warm weather.

We made the hard decision to move to Kirkland, WA, to be nearer to our newly born grandchildren, James & Josephine.

There has been a lot of adjusting and the climate takes some getting used to also! New dry cleaners, grocery stores, dog sitter, you name it, we had to find it! And, with a much bigger house that needed inside paint and new furniture, we embarked on another home project!

However, this move provided us the time and accessibility to watch these babies grow up, support our daughter and son in law, and begin our life as grandparents. Flying from California every time we wanted to see them would be a hassle and we wanted to be more hands-on. Luckily for us, we could work from home long before COVID offered this newest possibility.

I want to dive into the house design choices, but I will do that in another post. I have been updating my audience through Facebook and Instagram, but many of you do not participate in social media or miss these posts, and I wanted you to know what it was like living here!

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For Valentine’s Day, Why Not Create A Virtual Romantic Getaway for Two!

long term marriages

Does the idea of a virtual romantic getaway sound a little crazy, but fun?

After all, this is 2021, travel remains at a virtual standstill, and almost everything we do, even as ridiculous as it sounds – is virtual. Work, school, birthday parties, Thanksgiving, Christmas, cocktail hour, baby showers, wine tasting, cooking class, exercise class! Good grief! Why not enjoy a virtual romantic getaway for two? Let’s create everything you need to pretend to be at the destination of your dreams!

Valentine’s Day is around the corner, but we have a little time to plan. Why the heck not? As a travel writer, my work life was upended by the pandemic, which allowed me the freedom to try a few new ideas. One of which was to create a Virtual Maui Vacation. Brilliant, yes? 

romantic getaway
A virtual Maui could be fun!

After umpteen months of quarantine, a virtual Maui Vacation sounds kind of fun, doesn’t it? Maybe you want to create a weekend in Maui? Just check out the Vacation Guide, which has all of the details!

Maybe you need a little help with this virtual romantic getaway idea? I plan to give you a few tips to get your creative juices flowing.

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