Karens Road

Bernese Oberland area of Switzerland

While the United States is rich in history, it cannot compare to European countries. If you are interested in history, you will have struck the mother lode when traveling in Switzerland. From August 23 – 30, 2009 you can study the history of Europe’s Switzerland and save at participating hotels like the Beau-Rivage Palace.

Beau-Rivage Palace
One of Switzerland’s oldest hotels, the Beau-Rivage Palace is where you will discover Swiss “Pearls” as many gems of history unfolded in this magnificent place. The Beau-Rivage Palace in Lausanne, Switzerland is where the Treaty of Lausanne was signed. You history buffs will remember that this important treaty led to the international recognition of the sovereignty of the new Republic of Turkey as the successor state of the defunct Ottoman Empire. Included in your stay at this 1861 hotel is a historical guided tour.

Hotel Kandersteg

Also participating in Swiss Historic Week is the hotel Kandersteg of Bernese Oberland. Noted for giving guests an authentic dinner similar to the one Swiss novelist, Jeremias Gotthelf would have enjoyed, guests will not go away hungry. The experience includes 1 gourmet menu in the Doldenhorn (7-course menu), 1 menu in the Chässtube and the Wystube (raclette/fondue), and 3 dinners in the Ruedihus. This hotel also has many modern amenities.


Grandhotel Giessbach

Bernese Oberland is also the location of the turn of the century Grandhotel Giessbach. This amazing hotel offers a mix of old with many modern amenities.

There are so many fabulous, historical hotels in Switzerland that there is an award for “The Historic Hotel / Restaurant of the Year”. This year’s recipient is the Gasthof Hirschen of Eglisau. This hotel is over 300 years old, and has been in the same family for most of its life!

Hotel Gasthof Hirschen

To travel in a country so rich in culture and heritage is a history buff’s dream come true. Be sure to consider Switzerland when planning your next adventure.

On Friday and Saturday of last week, I attending the Women of Faith Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana. It was fun and inspiring. It was held at the Conseco Fieldhouse, downtown, Indianapolis. I was curious about the history of the building and was surprised to learn that it is only 10 years old! It is fashioned after the old Hinkle Fieldhouse of Butler University, Indianapolis, Indiana. If you have watched the movie, Hoosiers, you have seen the gym at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Many of us Hoosiers still gather on Friday and Saturday nights to watch Indiana’s favorite sport: basketball. Basketball is part of the heritage of Indiana.

We all have noticed that large sports centers are often named for businesses who are willing to pay for their name to be associated with said structure. Those naming rights gave this old looking new building its name. Conseco is a financial services organization based in Carmel, Indiana, less than 20 minutes from downtown Indianapolis.

Conseco is the home of the Indiana Pacers and the Indiana Fever. The Indiana Ice also use Conseco Fieldhouse as their home arena for a few games a year.

When my husband and I were first married, we were fortunate to visit Germany, Holland and my favorite country, Switzerland. As tourists, we discovered the history of each place and saw many new things we had never known existed.

We like to refer to these items of new found interest as Swiss “Pearls”. Pearls are gems and we found gems in the Swiss culture that we will always treasure. One such pearl is that the cities of Basel, Geneva, Winterthur, Zug and Zurich offer special ladies’ tours which relate the history of these cities from a distinctly female perspective.

Ladies Tour the City

I think of dark beer when I think of European countries but did you know that hops are used not just in beer, but also find their way into schnapps, vinegar, oil, pralines, pasta, tea, cosmetics and herbal remedies. In the Hof Hopfentropfen brewery in Switzerland, visitors can attend a brewing seminar or a demonstration brewing. You might be surprised to find that at the brewery, you can help with the production of the brewery’s own special beer!

Making Beer

Check out all that Switzerland has to offer. You will discover Swiss “Pearls” like making cheese or even how paper was manufactured in Medieval times.

Medieval Papermaking

When we visited Switzerland, we were fortunate to purchase a unique bell that we display in our family room. I have since discovered that it is possible to cast your own bell at the bell foundry in Berger in Bärau. What an awesome souvenir a self made bell would be to remember your trip to Switzerland. This is a picture of the bell we purchased:

Casting a Bell

The enjoyment of visiting Switzerland is only limited by time! Plan your trip now.

It has been so many years since our family has visited Mammoth Caves. I think it is time to go there again! The park encompasses large parts of Edmonson County, Kentucky and smaller area of Hart County and Barren County which is not far from where we live.

Mammoth Cave is the most extensive cave system known so far, with over 365 miles already explored. One might think that the name comes from the prehistoric Wooley Mammoth however, the name actually comes from the word mammoth as in large in size.

When we visited the cave, we took a tour much like the first tours of 1797 when the cave was discovered. It was surprising how cool the temperature was since it was horribly hot outdoors. The guide turned off his light and we felt an unusual sense of calm as we were in pitch black darkness. I was glad to have the light back once again.

Archeological investigations proved that prehistorically the Mammoth Cave was used by Native Americans as a burial place, as most mummies presented evidence of pre-Columbian funerary practice.

The main attractions remain features such as Grand Avenue, Frozen Niagara, and Fat Man’s Misery which was the tour we took. The cave tours vary in difficulty and length, the cave being either lighted electrically or by the paraffin lamps carried by the visitors themselves.

In an effort to aid American’s wishing to find inexpensive travel choices, the National Park Service will offer three fee-free weekends this summer! During the weekends of June 20-21, July 18-19, and August 15-16, 2009, 391 national parks located across the country are anxiously awaiting your visit.

When visitors spend their vacations at the parks, the local economy will also get a boost. Many businesses in towns near the parks reap the benefits of travelers visiting them.

Every year parents spend hundreds if not thousands of dollars on toys and activities for their kids. While many of things are great for keeping young minds and bodies active, many of them are unnecessary. Sure kids need structured play, but they also need “free” plan and this is easy to do when the world’s largest playground is right outside your back door. Why not let them play outside?

Every toy, book, and TV show that comes out has been designed and redesigned several times in order to make it educational and entertaining for children. The great thing about nature is that, while being entertaining and stimulating to the imagination, it’s also educational. Nature can teach children the basics of science, economics, and creativity.

It’s cheap. Depending on where you live, exploring nature is usually pretty inexpensive, if not free. It may mean going out in your backyard, local park, or perhaps going to the local nature center or state park (which usually have low cost fees or memberships). This way, you don’t have to pay for expensive toys, jungle gyms, or memberships to expensive entertainment centers, but you still get the benefit of stimulating and educational play.

It makes them think. Lately there’s been a trend in education towards inquiry based learning. Researchers have found that if students explore and experiment to figure out answers on their own, they’re going to learn better, and retain more information. It also helps them develop skills to be able to learn things on their own later. What better environment to learn things than out in nature. There are lessons for kids of all ages to discover about the world around them.

It may help the world. Everyone these days is trying to be more green and more environmentally conscious. What better way to help do your part than to get your children interested in their own planet than right now when they’re young and impressionable? What might be a fun time for them now, might be a future hobby, career, or world saving invention.

It’s fun. While it’s easy to forget, childhood isn’t just for learning about how to be an adult, it’s also about having fun. Nature gives kids a chance to use their imagination and be free to just be kids.

While unstructured play outside is great for kids, you can also find a lot of places offering structured classes and learning sessions for kids that focus on the natural world. Check your local park, zoo, or museum. There’s a good chance they have classes you can sign up for, and since many of these places are not for profit, they’re usually affordable as well as informative.

Across the world, there are millions of dollars being spent to help promote sending your kids outside to learn from nature. That’s because spending time in the outside world is so important for developing minds. It can also be a great escape for you as well.

Our son was married this weekend in a lovely ceremony held in Indianapolis, Indiana. The morning after the wedding, my family met at the circle which is downtown in Indianapolis. It is the absolute center of the city. There are many shops around the Soldiers and Sailors monument. We sat at Starbucks and drank coffee and smoothies. I had never noticed how beautiful the monument is. I think we had only visited during the winter months. When it is snowing and sleeting, we seem to hurry on our way and don’t take time to notice the details. There is a lot of artistic detail on the memorial that you will only notice if you take the time to walk around it.

Erected as a memorial to the soldiers and sailors of the War for the Union (1861-65), the monument also commemorates the War with Mexico (1846-48), Indian and British Wars (1811-12), War of the Revolution and the capture of Vincennes from the British on February 25, 1779. The Monument rises from a circular plaza, 342 feet in diameter, where once stood the governor’s house–but where no governor ever lived. At the lower level of the Monument is a Civil War exhibit. My nieces enjoyed throwing coins into the fountains. During the Christmas season, lights are strung from the top of the monument down to the bottom, making a huge tree shape that gets me into the Christmas spirit. There are horse carriage rides for those wishing to take a tour of the city.

You don’t even have to swim to enjoy the beauty of these pools.

The Hotel Caruso Belvedere is set at the highest point in the sun-splashed Amalfi Coast town of Ravello, so the open-air infinity pool offers unobstructed, panoramic views of one of the world’s most dramatic coastlines—and the sea beyond. It doesn’t hurt that the pool itself is flanked by 11th-century Roman ruins.

See more of these beautiful pools and their locations at World’s Most Amazing Hotel Pools via the Budget Travel website.

If you are looking for an exciting location for a fun, family vacation, check out the Wildwood vacations website.

We visited Wildwood and the New Jersey waterparks when my daughter graduated from Coast Guard training 5 years ago. If you have ever watched an old movie that was set on the beach and showed the boardwalks, it was probably near Wildwood. Morey’s Piers is a classic, family owned resort area that includes fun amusement rides, waterparks and outstanding accommodations.

Morey’s Piers is hosting the Radio Disney Summer Concert Series that includes many of your favorite top Radio Disney artists. The concerts are free so make your teen happy with this fabulous addition to your vacation plans.

Check out the Morey’s Piers website for directions, hours and lodging information. This will be a vacation spot that will become a favorite for your family.

Do you have a GPS unit? We visited with friends this evening and got a kick out of hearing stories of how their GPS units took them on wild and crazy adventures. Have you had a funny experience from relying on your GPS unit?

I have another question. Do you rely on a service like MapQuest to get you to a destination? Have you had good luck with MapQuest? I only ask because I put in addresses to find the best route to our son’s reception and got some crazy directions! I hope none of our guests rely totally on MapQuest. Yahoo Directions website was more reliable in this instance.

If you have ever tried to get detailed information on travel you have probably become frustrated by the lack of said information. The Internet is a wonderful source for finding out about so many things but if you want accurate information about a vacation spot, you are taking your chances. That is until FatPassport appeared on the scene.

Unlike any other travel site, FatPassport provides personlized information on your trip. That means you can put in the variables pertinent to your particular situation and FatPassport can find the best travel destination, price, and other amenities that suit your specific needs. No more money wasted on trips that aren’t exactly your cup of tea! We have all felt the sting on our wallets when we arrive at a destination and find it isn’t at all what we expected. I remember arriving at a rental in Myrtle Beach that had me gagging. The smell of cat pee was so bad that we demanded a different rental. FatPassport can avoid those types of things from happening.

At FatPassport you can talk to other travelers to see how they like a place you are considering. You will be able to see activities happening in your destination area of which you are not aware. I especially enjoyed the pictures submitted by other travelers.

FatPassport makes it easy to book hotels and flights. I am ready to go!