Sedona Rouge was on our left on the road to into town on Arizona State Route 89A as we arrived by car from the Phoenix Airport following a day of travel from the east coast. Within minutes we were settling into the air conditioned comfort of our third floor hotel room. Right away we liked the easy to reach parking lot, comfortable double queen beds, flat screen television, electric fireplace and complimentary WiFi connectivity.
Named for the wife of T.C. Schnebly, the area, at an elevation of 4,500 feet, is best known for its famous red rocks and vortexes or energy centers which appeal to spiritually oriented people many of whom have made the town their part time home. Having visited Sedona in the heat of summer’s low season it’s hard to imagine the town of 14,000 and one main street with four million visitors a year said to pass by the area.
On our last trip to Mexico, we decided to expand our travels and enjoy not only the beach, comfortable hotel and fabulous food but also some of the lesser known architectural sites located in the Yucatan Peninsula. Mayan culture is all pervasive in this region. In the local villages, many villagers still dress in traditional clothing: embroidered blouses and colorful woven skirts. Dating back as far as 3,000 years, the flat countryside has been dotted with Mayan ruins that are not necessarily visible to the naked eye. Most are covered by jungle vegetation and it was only recently that excavations began to uncover some of these architectural wonders. Coba and Ek Balam are two of the locations that are still relatively unknown. When we travel, we always enjoy experiencing unusual, or less well frequented, places and so we were pleasantly surprised that there were so few people when we visited these two sites.
We spent a relaxing week at the Sun Palace Couples-only Resort, an all inclusive resort where pampering was the order of the day. This resort is located only 10 minutes from Cancun Airport near the end of the beach. This was fortunate as Hurricane Wilma, in 2005, wiped out most of the beach along this beautiful stretch of land. The beach in front of the Sun Palace and the Club Med Cancun were spared being washed out as they are located in the arch of the cove. We were met at the airport by the hotel limousine, which we requested when we made our hotel reservation. From the moment we registered there was no waiting and we were greeted at the door with flowers and champagne. We were also offered a cool damp cloth to refresh ourselves from the heat of the day.
Vancouver, the host of the 2010 winter Olympics, is the largest city in the province of British Columbia with over half a million residents and one of the mildest climates in Canada. Vancouver is also home to one of North America’s largest ports. It is a beautiful city that offers much to see and do for adults and for families. Ie had visited and enjoyed Vancouver on a family holiday many years ago. This past year, my husband and I had occasion to return twice and we rediscovered the wonders of this location.
This quaint little seaport on the western shore of the Penobscot Bay was a microcosm of the best coastal Maine has to offer. Its working waterfront was alive with fishing and lobster boats as well as recreational sailboats, sea kayaks and canoes. Sightseeing windjammers and ferries provided a wide array of opportunities to enjoy the calm waters of the bay and explore its spectacular rocky shores punctuated by historic lighthouses. Two short blocks up from the shore, the tree-shaded Main Street was lined with art galleries, boutiques and shops. Back streets were filled with grand Victorian homes reminiscent of Rockland’s 19 th century industrial prosperity.