WanderlustWonder - Seeing the world one overpacked suitcase at a time.

Girlfriend Getaway to Asheville, North Carolina

Posted on September 17, 2013 by Jan Ross

We never made a plan to visit this fascinating little town nestled between the Smoky Mountains and the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina; it just happened to be halfway between Lexington, Kentucky and Savannah, Georgia where we were headed. But when I began to do research about the area and realized belatedly that the Biltmore Estate is located in Asheville, the decision was made. Asheville North Carolina was added into our girlfriend getaway travel itinerary, and it turned out to be absolutely one of our favorite destinations!

We stayed at two equally wonderful hotels and I can unreservedly recommend both. Our first stay was at the Hilton at Biltmore Park . Located in Biltmore Park, a new area near the Biltmore Estate and conveniently full of little shops, restaurants and a movie theater right by the hotel itself, the hotel is brand spanking new and in lovely, pristine condition. We checked in with no problem, settled into our comfy room and then strolled around, checking out the free Internet connection, fitness center, pool and the Sensibilities Spa. One of the most surprising things about this particular Hilton is that pets are allowed and we immediately saw people with their well-behaved dogs on leashes. Asheville is very pet-friendly and we saw dogs all over town, most especially on the terraces of the restaurants downtown. This is the place to go if you like to travel with your pet.

Read the rest of this article on Girlsgetaway.com HERE.

Pin It

Categories: Asheville, Girlfriends Getaway, Girlsgetaway.com | Tags: Biltmore Estate, Grayline Trolley Tours Asheville, Grove Park Inn, Hilton at Biltmore Park, Jan Ross travel blog, Jan Ross travel writer, Tom Ross Photographer, Tom Ross Travel Photographer, Tupelo Honey Cafe | Leave a comment

Photo Friday: Un-Cruise Adventures Web Site

Posted on September 13, 2013 by Jan Ross

When we were on our yacht cruise in British Columbia, enjoying the incredible scenery, scarfing down delicious food, and seeing amazing animals, we were actually working hard.

As difficult as it is to believe, we work hard for all the amazing travel opportunities we are given. I spend an exorbitant amount of time writing once we get home and Tom spends every trip with a heavy camera around his neck, often perched precariously trying to get the perfect shot. The yacht cruise was no exception as Tom had agreed to take photos of all our adventures so Un-Cruise Adventures could use them on their web page and other public relations materials. When we returned home, I chose the best photos, put them in Dropbox, shared them with Un-Cruise Adventures and forgot about them.

Until last night.

When I was reading articles on USA Today and happened upon one of Tom’s photos. Un-Cruise Adventures had shared it for use with the article and there it was. We actually had to go back to our photos to confirm it but yep. There it was. One of his photos. We were just blown away.

One of his photos.

On USA Today.

Then we realized we had never actually gone to the Un-Cruise Adventures web site to see if they had used any of his photos yet.

And the first thing we saw was one of his killer whale photos.

Not only that, it actually had his name on it. In tiny print over on the left. But it’s there.

They also used some of his photos in the Gallery of images of the Coastal Washington and British Columbia slide show on the site.

Of course, we have seen plenty of his photos used before. In all of my articles in a variety of venues, both print and online. He has even had them featured on magazine covers.

But this.

This is pretty damn cool.

And worth all that precarious perching he does on every single trip.

Pin It

Categories: Photo Friday, Un-Cruise Adventures | Tags: Jan Ross travel blog, Jan Ross travel writer, Tom Ross Photographer, Tom Ross Travel Photographer | Leave a comment

Why Small Ship Cruising is Better

Posted on September 10, 2013 by Jan Ross

Why in the world would anyone give up the glamour and glitz of those huge, ocean-going cruise liners with dozens of restaurants, sprawling suites and glamorous ports of call to cruise on much smaller ships? We have cruised all over the world on those monstrous vessels, but just recently cruised on three much smaller ships and now we will choose the small ships every time. Here’s why small ship cruises are better.

Small ships are cozy and intimate

On a recent cruise through the islands of British Columbia on a yacht with Un-Cruise Adventures, I spent a great deal of the time we were cruising curled in a very comfy, cushioned corner of a couch in the tiny library reading and daydreaming as I watched the world pass by the large window. I searched fruitlessly for a similar place to read on a recent large cruise trip.

The atmosphere is friendlier

We have never made friends on any ocean liners. But on a small ship cruise in Europe on the Amadeus with AmaWaterways, we made several good, close friends with whom we have stayed in contact long after the cruise. The comfortable lounges, relaxed seating at dinner (often with great local food) and the excitement of exploring small, undiscovered ports lends an air of camaraderie to the small ship cruises.

Read the rest of this article on Travel + Escape HERE.

Pin It

Categories: Blount Small Ship Adventures, Cruises, Un-Cruise Adventures | Tags: Jan Ross travel blog, Jan Ross travel writer, Small Ship Cruises, Tom Ross Photographer, Tom Ross Travel Photographer | Leave a comment

Photo Friday: Milwaukee Art Museum

Posted on September 7, 2013 by Jan Ross

This is one of the few photos Tom has taken with his iPhone which turned out great. He used the panorama feature which stretched out the visitors and made them look like aliens. I love it!

Pin It

Categories: Photo Friday, Wisconsin | Tags: Jan Ross travel blog, Jan Ross travel writer, Milwaukee, Milwaukee Art Museum, Tom Ross Photographer | Leave a comment

A Weekend in Music City: Visiting Nashville, Tennessee

Posted on September 5, 2013 by Jan Ross

If you are a fan of country music, there is only one destination possible for the perfect getaway – Nashville, Tennessee. Country music is available in a huge variety of venues, both large and small, but Nashville also has a lot to offer visitors in addition to music.

Centrally located near the famous Grand Ole Opry and just a short drive away from downtown Nashville, the Gaylord Opryland Hotel is a sumptuous, gorgeous resort perched on the banks of the Cumberland River. The hotel has an incredible, sprawling nine acres of indoor gardens, cascading waterfalls and an unbelievable, complete indoor river with a Delta flatboat for cruising along. Remember, this is all INSIDE the resort. Step into the luxurious, huge lobby with several check-in desks, stroll into the climate-controlled glass atrium and you could easily think you have stepped into another world. Request a Premium Garden View Room which overlooks the gardens and has a balcony because you will want to relax out there with a southern sweet iced tea and just marvel at the incredible beauty of this place.

Once you have settled in your room and spent some time enjoying the view, pay a visit to the 20,000 square foot Relache Spa. This world-renowned spa offers soothing massages and facials, or indulge in their famous pink pearl firming body wrap, and a tropical paradise manicure to prepare for your evening out. Men will enjoy the spa as well and can spend time in the steam room and sauna before their relaxing treatments. The spa also has a lovely indoor pool and a fitness center available and the resort also has two huge, outdoor pools as well which are beautifully landscaped. There is also a bar and grill by the pool where you can order a drink and sip it by the pool as you marvel at this wonderful place.

Read the rest of this article on Travel Generation HERE.

Pin It

Categories: Nashville, Tennessee, Travel Generation | Tags: Fontanel Mansion, Gaylord Opryland Hotel, General Jackson Showboat, Grand Ole Opry, Jan Ross travel blog, Jan Ross travel writer, Tom Ross Photographer, Tom Ross Travel Photographer | Leave a comment

The Family-Friendly Carlbsbad Inn Beach Resort

Posted on September 3, 2013 by Jan Ross

Hosted Accommodations

We couldn’t believe it.

Here we were in beautiful southern California, on the coast, at the beach, in the middle of summer, and the skies were gray, cloudy and downright unattractive. Surely we had caught California at an unfortunate and inopportune moment and the sun would break through at any moment, flooding the coast with gorgeous, golden sunlight.

Ah.

Not so much.

We soon learned that coastal southern California experiences a phenomenon every summer called “June Gloom“. Clouds form over the ocean which meet the warm air from the coast and this results in gray, cloudy days right when you expect beautiful summer conditions. However, nobody in the lovely little village of Carlsbad was allowing the gray skies to affect their vacation enjoyment, so we decided to ignore them as well. We had headed down the coast in our lovely red Venza to explore Carlsbad, at the invitation of the local CVB and were checking into our first accommodations, the Carlsbad Inn Beach Resort.

Pin It

Categories: Beach, California, Hotels, Resorts | Tags: Carlsbad California, Carlsbad Hotels, Carlsbad Inn Beach Resort, Carlsbad Resorts, Jan Ross travel blog, Jan Ross travel writer, Tom Ross Photographer, Tom Ross Travel Photographer | 1 Comment

Photo Friday: Fountain in San Francisco

Posted on August 30, 2013 by Jan Ross

Tom got this photo of a statue in a fountain when I wasn’t even paying attention. I love the way he caught the drops of water suspended in mid-air.

Pin It

Categories: Photo Friday, San Francisco | Tags: Fountain San Francisco, Jan Ross travel blog, Jan Ross travel writer, San Francisco, Tom Ross Photographer | Leave a comment

Panama City Beach: Not Just for Spring Breakers Anymore

Posted on August 28, 2013 by Jan Ross

Enjoying the beach with my grandson.

Years ago, Panama City Beach, situated along the beautiful Emerald Coast of Florida with sparkling white sand and gorgeous green water, found itself the destination of choice for college students. Having passed through Panama City Beach during these rowdy times, I was understandably concerned about what a vacation in the area would be like with my grown daughter and seven-year-old grandson as we headed to the beach this summer. After having just spent a week enjoying all this lovely destination has to offer, I can assure you that your family will have a lovely time.

We split our stay between the Bay Point Wyndham, located a few miles away from the beach on St. Andrews Bay, and the Laketown Wharf Resort, located right on the beach. Both destinations were equally perfect for families and each had its own special offerings.

A two-bedroom villa at the Wyndham with a kitchenette made it easy to keep snacks and drinks available and offered the perfect sleeping arrangements for our family. With five gorgeous pools, onsite restaurants, an incomparable spa and a world-class golf course, this resort is idyllic. One of the amenities we enjoyed the most was a free shuttle out to Shell Island, an unspoiled and quite lovely national park located just a few miles away. Look for dolphins on the way!

The Laketown Wharf Resort, with one- to three-bedroom luxury condos, four pools, a new restaurant and coffee café opening soon, and a location just a few steps over a wooden boardwalk to the beach, was the perfect place for our beach-loving family. Every single condo overlooks the beautiful Gulf of Mexico and has a fully stocked kitchen which we always appreciate when we travel. Eating out can get pretty expensive and it’s nice to stock your kitchen with the makings for a nice breakfast and lunch, and then enjoy the fresh, local seafood for dinner.

Read the rest of this article on Travel + Escape HERE.

Pin It

Categories: Beach, Florida, Panama City Beach, Travel + Escape, Travel with Children | Tags: Bay Point Wyndham Resort, Gulf World Marine Park, Jan Ross travel blog, Jan Ross travel writer, Laketown Wharf Resort, Panama City Beach, Paradise Adventures, Tom Ross Photographer, Tom Ross Travel Photographer | Leave a comment

Cruising the California Coast in Our Sweet Red Ride – the Toyota Venza

Posted on August 26, 2013 by Jan Ross

Press Trip

Now I’m not going to say that we were impressed with Toyota after attending the Toyota Elevated Event in Santa Monica.

However.

As soon as we got home, we bought this.

Our brand new FJ Cruiser.

So, in reality, we were impressed. We were DAMNED impressed. Not only was the event incredibly well-organized and a joy to participate in, every single person we met couldn’t rave enough about Toyota. And I’m not talking about the Toyota employees or their press people; these were all the people at the event who actually owned Toyota vehicles and loved them with a degree of fanaticism which caused us to take a second look at Toyota.

We have never owned a Toyota. Really didn’t know anything about them. We had just always bought Ford/Chevy/whatever. But what really made us consider actually purchasing a Toyota was not only the fact that everyone kept telling us what great vehicles they were, but the fact that we actually got to spend a few days in California really driving one.

When we realized we were just going to be in Santa Monica for a few days, we decided that was a long way to fly for just a few days and was it possible we could stay a little longer and not fly home with all the other press people? The Toyota PR people said no problem. Then we realized we were going to need a car for the few days so we thought hmmm why not ask? And they said no problem.

And that is precisely how we ended up picking up a beautiful red Venza at the Santa Monica airport parking lot. We had never heard of a Venza, never seen a Venza, never driven a Venza, but we loved our Venza. We probably would have bought a Venza…let me rephrase that…I would have bought a Venza but Tom saw the FJ Cruiser and fell in love. And when you fall in love, there is not much you can do.

Except own a vehicle that, as the salesperson assured us, will scale any mountain we want to climb.

Like that happens all the time.

Pin It