Traveling Alert

Not the best of pictures I know; but I took this photo through the glass window 6 stories up after I climbed all the stairs. I was a bit out of breath, so probably moved, add that to the reflection from the glass and well.........what you see is what you get.

Ok, the important part and the reason for my posting this is. What do you wear when sleeping in a hotel room? Do you have something to cover up with near by? Early morning, we'd not yet had a cup of coffee; though we each had one in hand we were sipping when the extremely loud fire alarm went off. I sleep in a t-shirt; but was cold and had put on a fleece and lounge type pants. I could go outside in what I was wearing. Hubby was similarly clad. He did quickly put his jeans on before we walked down the stairs though. I took time enough to grab my purse and cell phone and away we went. Should have seen the barefoot folks in jammies stumbling around. No one was awake, not really anyway. Though getting all that blood flowing as we walked to the ground floor to exit surely helped.

This isn't the first time we've had to exist a hotel for a fire and or fire alarm. Last time it wasn't daylight; it really was in the middle of the night. Luckily it was warm weather and we all were out in the parking lot for some time while the fire department took care of things. That was many years back, when our daughter was young. Waking up a young one quickly, getting something on not a easy task.

It's important to be organized folks, even when you're suppose to be relaxing and on vacation. Before you go to bed at night, know where your purse-wallet, cell phone, and shoes are. Have a quick put on something at your finger tips. You really never know what might happen, and you want to be able to quickly get yourself and loved ones to safety without fumbling around or going outside without sufficient clothing on. And you really do need to put on shoes, yes even you teenagers (who were the bulk of those we saw stumbling around barefooted). If there really is a fire, you don't want to burn your feet. If there really is a fire you don't want to step on glass that's a reality if firemen have busted through a window or something to get in.

In both situations we were all were safe. The first time there was a fire in a trash can from a cigarette not properly extinguished which caused the smoke detectors to go off. Took them awhile to find it too, as they searched floor to floor. I'm happy now that most hotels are smoke free so this is probably less of a issue. Though I know people do cheat and still smoke in places they aren't suppose to. This last time I believe there was a problem in the kitchen area as they were preparing breakfast.

Remember you can not take the elevator when there's an alarm. You must use the stairway. Do you take a minute to see where the stairs are when you're in a hotel? If you've not done that in the past, PLEASE make it a point to do that here forward in your travels.

Once the fire department gives the all clear you can return to your rooms, but we still had to use the stairs so we got some extra exercise that day. Think how crowded the elevator is going to be when the all clear is given. If you have the ability to walk, please do and leave the elevator for those less physically capable. It takes some time to transport everyone back in large hotels.

So my travel alert and tip for you all:

1. Be organized, have shoes and essentials at finger tips
2. Know where the stairs are

Charlotte, North Carolina

We were passing through Charlotte, North Carolina on our way to Hilton Head, South Carolina. We were searching for Sun. We altered our travel arrangements to skirt a storm as best we could; which is how we landed for a night here in Charlotte. Reviewing maps and weather reports over breakfast before heading out Dear Hubby spotted Old Settlers' Cemetery within a few blocks of our hotel. Naturally, we stopped!

Even in a short cold walk through the cemetery you can see how historic it is and wonder about the many stories it holds.

The oldest known burial is that of Joel Baldwin who died at the young age of 26 in October of 1776. Many Revolutionary and Civil War Hero's are buried here. Many of the early pioneers who formed and settled the area are buried here.

The area was first settled by Scots-Irish who belonged to The Church. It is felt the graveyard was first attached to the church. Though time has changed the church affiliation from non-denominational to the current day Presbyterian, which is the church you see in the background.

Servants of the early families are buried in the NorthEastern portion without markers; or at least none of the plain wooden or stone markers from those early days has withstood the test of time and vandalism.

Vandalism has played a hand at this historic graveyard on multiple occasions. Sadly, some of those records are forever gone. Thankfully there have been periods in it's history that caring people have done what they could to restore and preserve it's history. From my research I believe the cemetery has been cleaned up and restored 3 separate times, each time falling again to lack of attention and vandalism. Hopefully now, this park like setting will be maintained and those there properly honored.

One of the more famous burials is Colonel Thomas Polk, who died in 1793 and is the great uncle of President James Polk.

Travel to Argentina, explore the great outdoors

Grab your passport and your outdoor gear and head to Argentina. This is a sportsman's paradise. Think of water sports, fishing, kayaking, swimming, canoeing and whale watching. Want more adventure, try your hand at white water rafting. Turisom en Argentina encompasses 7 zones. Each zone has something to offer travelers of all ages and all interests.

Be adventureous and hand glide in the Northwest Zone. Or relax and shop in San Salvador, photograph the large diverse species of birds in this region. If you love history like I do, you'll want to seek out the hidden little chapels and the adobe churches which reflect The Spanish influence of it's early settlers. And don't forget to get good pictures of the volcanic areas (now inactive).

Maybe you prefer city life, the hustle and bustle of Buenos Aires? This beautiful warm humid green plain area between the mountains will keep you busy. It's the commercial center of the country with it's vibrant city life, shopping by day with a huge variety of dining options and night life once the sun goes down. Don't forget your bathing suit and sun screen, spend time on The Beach of Mar de Plata. Hoteles en Buenos Aires abound with lodging for you and your family right in the heart of this exciting city.


There are National Parks to explore, Petrified Forest to see, and museums to dwell in along The Atlantic Coastal area. The Patagonia Zone offers lakes, forests, and glaciers to explore and enjoy.

The Mendoza Zone is more desert like with much to offer. Geological adventures abound. Go climbing, or caving. For the less adventurous among us grab your camera and head to The Valley of the Moon with it's breathtaking array of color. Buy your souvenirs in San Juan or San Rafael.

Sportman, Birder, Shopper, history buff or just relax in the forest or on the beach. Hoteles en Argentina can satisfy your needs. Don't forget to ask about package deals.

Turtle Park, St. Louis, Missouri (Dogtown-Forest Park)

Remember to click to see pictures larger
Exit 34A, Skinker and Clayton Roads is the spot. The walk bridge you see is at the intersection of Tamm and Oakland Avenue's in St. Louis, Missouri. Some will argue this is Dogtown, some will say it's the far southern end of Forest Park. At the very least it is were the two neighbors join and come together.
Cute little turtles lining the walking paths make a good place for children to sit.
And who could resist climbing on such a large repile? Seriously, there are children of all ages here. Climbing, walking, photographing.
Funny the small children didn't seem to be afraid of this large creature with it's mouth opened. These fantastic cement sculptures are the work of a local artist, Robert Cassilly on land donated by Mrs. Sonya (Sunny) Glassberg.
And yes, the park is in-fact named Turtle Playground. In August of 1996 it was officially opened. There's parking on the street and plenty of place for bikers, walkers and those with strollers on a sunny afternoon. You could try your hand at identifying a Snapping Turtle, Soft-Shelled Turtle, Mississippi Map, Box Turtles or a Stink Pot as they all reside here in cement form. There's even a long snake which makes a place to sit, or climb along side the walkway.

With the covered walkway over the freeway there's easy access to the park. Though I must admit this is the first time we've actually visited the park; we've seen the large turtles from the freeway many many times in our travels there. Take time, get off the freeway and enjoy it; it's well worth the effort.

The park is open daily til 10 pm and is free!

Pack Traveling Wine Glasses

You might be scratching your head right now as you look at this picture and wonder what's the lady showing me a picture of a broken wine glass for? Nah, it's not broken; it's packable. Is there such a word as packable? If not, I think there should be. The picture on the left is what it looks like broken down, packable. Takes very little room.

Step 2, the glass on the right is what you'll see when you turn and pull the stem portion out. Note the screw area on the top of the stem, and that same area on the bottom of the bowl. That's how you put it together. Easy and quick. Simply screw it together.
This picture shows your very nice non breakable packable stemmed wine glass. This is a must for your all traveling needs. I pack 2 of these wine glasses oallthe time when I travel. They're light weight so not an issue even if flying vs car traveling. These 2 are new ones hubby purchased for me on one of our recent traveling excursions. After many years, many miles and lots of vacations the ones I had were scratched and didn't look nice. Though they are still quite usable and have made their way from our traveling/vacation box to our football tailgating box.

I highly recommend these to ease all your packing troubles. I dislike drinking wine from a paper cup in a hotel room, or worse a Styrofoam cup. The other added advantage is a non breakable glass when sitting at the pool side, on the beach, or relaxing from a patio or balcony in our travels. And since it's reusable, it far more environmental friendly than those Styrofoam cups and glasses in the hotel rooms.

Even if you're not a wine drinker, these would be handy and nicer to drink from than the Styrofoam and paper often in hotel rooms.

I won a contest!

I entered a blog contest and won! Am pretty excited, cause I never win anything. So, I wanted to share my excitement with you, and tell you all to travel over to Clara's blog and check it out.

My winning gift is red, has wheels and is something I'll be able to use traveling. When it arrives, I'll photograph it; but for now....drum roll

Anyone care to quess?

AND speaking about contest, don't forget to get yourself entered in mine. If you don't enter, you can't win. And everyone loves to win. And let's face it, everyone loves a winner. Picture yourself with a big bright W for winner on your forehead instead of big fat L for Looser. I know you know what I'm talking about.

Click on my Traveling Suitcase badge in the sidebar to find out everything you need to do to enter. Tick Tock, the clock's ticking so don't delay; enter today.

And if you're here from EC, click on my badges (again in the sidebar); so you drop twice more on my other blogs. Just got them registered today.

Souvenir's when Traveling

A souvenir (from French, for memory), memento or keepsake is an object a traveler brings home for the memories associated with it. Souvenirs include clothing such as T-shirts or hats, postcards, refrigerator magnets, miniature figures, household items such as mugs and bowls, plates, ashtrays, egg timers, spoons, notepads, and paintings plus many others.

The above is the Wikipedia definition for Souvenir. We all buy things when we travel, things to help us remember the vacation and the fun associated with it. I tend not to buy nick nacks or trinkets; but items I need or items that I will use repeatably. The pink fleece purchased in Savannah because the weather was colder than expected and I needed another layer. So, it's useful...serves a purpose. I had been looking for a fleece, have plenty of sweatshirts but no fleece so; this is an item I was going to purchase anyway and didn't therefore spend extra money.

The Vera Bradley purse is also an item I had been wanting, needed a new purse and would have purchased anyway. But, I think the prices are crazy and so hadn't purchased one. While vacationing in Hilton Head, hubby saw a sale sign and so.........got this baby at 50% off which makes it reasonable to me.

So, I've purchased items I needed, items I wanted, items I'm using and will continue to use and have meaningful souvenirs; but nothing to dust or get broken when knocked off the table or counter. This handy tip will save you money, but still give you the opportunity to purchase a special something in your travels. Stir clear of the tacky little knick knack souvenir shops, you'll be glad you did.

DON'T FORGET TO GET IN ON MY CONTEST, YOU CAN ENTER THROUGHOUT THE MONTH OF MARCH, CLICK HERE TO READ ABOUT THE CONTEST