Our top 5 favorite get a ways

We love to travel and we get asked all the time what are our favorite destinations.  After much thought, we've decided to dedicate our next few blogs to spotlight these top 5 destinations (so far).

#1 - Paris, France

#2 - Amsterdam, Netherlands

#3 - Las Vegas, Nevada

#4 - San Francisco Bay Area, California

#5 - Scottsdale, Arizona

There were three other locations that were closely edged out of the top 5 for various reasons:

#6 - New York City, New York - didn't make the top 5 due to how expensive it is.  Not only are the hotels pricey; eating, shopping and entertainment can cost you $1,000 a day.  Too much for our travel budget.

#7 - Santorini, Greece - Love the views and location, but once you get there it's kind of isolated.  If you're looking for a romantic and quiet get a way - then it's perfect.  I personally enjoy seeing shows, eating at fine restaurants and visiting museums, so it's not my favorite location, but loved the views.

#8 - Anaheim, California - You can't beat the weather, beaches, and Disneyland, but the top 5 offer SO much more!!

Watch for our next blog - we'll describe our top 5 locations.

Want to escape the Winter weather?

This Winter has been one of the coldest in recent history, but Arizona continues to experience gorgeous weather. March is the perfect time to visit Arizona, not only because it will give you a break from your routine, enjoy 70 - 80 degree warm Spring days, but it's also Spring Training time for baseball.

Several of the baseball teams pick the Phoenix area as their Spring Training home.  There are lots of stadiums that you can visit, but I prefer The Salt River Fields.  Home of the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks.  Why do I like this stadium, let me show you while I tell you what makes this stadium the best.

1.)  The food - they have all the usual game food items; popcorn, peanuts, etc.  But this field also has a restaurant and the concession stands bring the food to you while you enjoy the game!
2.)  Sangria - it will run you $10.00, but it's a pretty large serving.  My favorite is the red, it's not as sweet as the white.
3.) There's not a bad seat in the place.  I especially enjoy the lawn seats at $9.00.  You can see the lawn seats in the photo above.

Where to stay while you're here?  Make sure to verify where the stadium is 1st as the drive between stadiums can be anywhere from 20 - 45 minutes away.  Most are around the Scottsdale area and I suggest staying in a hotel in Scottsdale.  There's lots of restaurants, bars and shopping all within walking distance.  When you're not at a game, you'll want to be able to get around town easily and don't forget your swim suit...it is Arizona after all!!

Happy Traveling!

Looking for the perfect Thanksgiving get away?

Ready to get away from the craziness of the Thanksgiving and Christmas season?  Well, you may be surprised on where I recommend that you travel to.  Las Vegas! Yes, I know, most people think of Vegas in the Spring/Summer to enjoy the heat of the desert and to lay by the pool.  Think again!

Las Vegas is pretty quiet, for Vegas, during the Thanksgiving week.  You can get the same rooms for 1/2 the cost and it's NOT crowded.  You can get dinner reservations to all your favorite places, get terrific seats at the best shows and feel like you have the hotel/casinos to yourself.  And to me the best part is that you'll be there when Black Friday begins.  Vegas is known for the world class shopping and what better way to enjoy it than during the biggest sales of the year!

Here are a few photos of the GORGEOUS Palazzo/Venetian.  It's our favorite hotel because all of the rooms are suites, so we have plenty of space to spread out. Plus the staff understands how to provide outstanding customer service.  We've stayed in this hotel for the last 6 years and every trip is memorable.

Outside of the hotel

Can you see the outdoor ice skating rink?

Look at how they decorate the inside of the Canal Shops.  It's absolutely beautiful.  Tourists stop all day long to take a photo in front of the waterfall.

Waterfall in the middle of the shopping!  

Take a ride on a gondola.

Happy Traveling!