Travel Tips & Adventures

By Guest Author Joan Koczor

As you pull into Austin, MN, you begin to see billboards along the highway advertising the Spam Museum. The billboards say things like “The SPAM® Museum– Even we don’t really understand,” and “The SPAM® Museum– Yes, we do answer the ingredients question.

SPAM® Museum's retro 40s and 50s look

 This sense of humor carries over into the actual museum, the shrine to the canned meat that is produced and packaged right there in Austin, Minnesota, otherwise known as Spam Town, USA.

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In our effort to bring real travel experiences to you, we highlight a unique business with a good eco-ethic:

If you are in the Phoenix, Arizona area, a fun diversion and a good place to grab a meal is at the Queen Creek Olive Mill. For locavores – those who want their foods grown near where they are eating them – the Queen Creek Olive Mill fits the bill. (more…)

Scotland: Fall 2009

DAY 11
AVIEMORE

Okay, we’re staying put for the day … sort of …

We’re looking at a train ride, a little clan homecoming, and lots of scenery.

As I mentioned in a previous installment, my reasoning for staying in Aviemore (yes, it’s really on a map) for several days was due to its centralized location in the highlands. It is also the middle of recreation country.

The Cairngorm mountains and Cairngorm National Park host a plethora of sporting activities: fishing, canoeing, mountain biking, rock-climbing, hiking, golf, horse riding … even skiing in the winter (if there is enough snow). (more…)

Since Williams was hosting the Disney Christmas Carol train recently, I had the pleasure of seeing this quirky and historic northern Arizona town.

 
Billed as the “Gateway to the Grand Canyon,” Williams is about 55 miles from the major attraction. They are small, but their marketing is powerful. (more…)

Christmas has come early this year. Until early November, The Walt Disney Company, partnered with Amtrak, has mounted a family-friendly exhibit on a train decked out as “The Christmas Carol.”

Christmas Carol train

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Part 7

Scotland: Fall 2009

DAY 8 (cont’d)

We are settling in Aviemore for several nights as a base to explore the Highlands. Okay, you had to ask! Where is Aviemore, and why would anyone want to stay there?

Actually, there are three reasons: (more…)

A visit to 80-year-old Boyce Thompson Arboretum will inspire and delight nature enthusiasts.

If you are in the vicinity of Phoenix, it is well worth the drive. Located 55 miles east of Phoenix, just after mile marker 223 on US 60 before reaching Superior, Boyce Thompson Arboretum demonstrates the labor of love that Colonel Boyce Thompson began in the 1920s. He considered it a place to “instill in humanity an appreciation of plants.”

Breathtaking view at Boyce Thompson

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After several fun days exploring Williamsburg, you naturally will want to buy souvenirs, gifts or memorabilia. Basically, stuff, but Williamsburg stuff is definitely special.

Williamsburg has gift choices for every taste and budget. I purchased a Colonial era finely designed silver pin that I still cherish straight from the silversmith’s shop.

There are open air opportunities where you can purchase plants, and refreshments, hats and, well, almost anything that you can imagine appropriate to Colonial Williamsburg right in the restored area.

For an eclectic collection of Colonial Williamsburg purchases from $2 to as much as you can imagine, head to Merchants Square, adjacent to the restored area of Williamsburg.

The Wigmaker Shop in Colonial Williamsburg, Courtesy of the CWF

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March down the street in Williamsburg, Virginia following the Fife and Drum group – dressed in British Colonial red – and you’ll feel the excitement of visiting Williamsburg.  

Fife and drum performs on the green in front of the Governor's Palace Photo provided by Colonial Williamsburg Foundation

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When traveling to Williamsburg, part of the experience is where you rest your head at night…

Hotel choices in Williamsburg, VA

If you are not trying to get your last 1,000 points of affinity miles for that next airline flight, you might consider trying one of the five properties actually owned by the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and run by the Colonial Williamsburg Company. With a combination of premium, deluxe and even a value hotel, you certainly have choices.

Few historical sites actually own their own hotels, let alone five, plus historical home/tavern reconstructions. And although you won’t find anywhere a sign above the door proclaiming, “George Washington slept here,” some are still historically significant. (more…)