Coffee and Conversation with the #RomanceGems

It's time for Coffee and Conversation with the Romance Gems! So, grab a cup of your favorite beverage and join us for some fun. This month's topic is: Be a tour guide to a place you love.

2020 is certainly one for the record books, and most folks I know are eager to get back to “some kind of normal.” For many, that includes travel. So, let’s do a bit of armchair traveling, shall we?

Be an expert tour guide to a place you love. Hint…This does not need to be the Pyramids of Giza unless you want it to be. It could be a favorite vacation spot, a museum, the town you grew up in, even your backyard garden. Let’s talk!

“California’s Hearst Castle, which I’ve visited four times, ranks up there with the world’s great sites. Two things make it stand apart: its spectacular setting five miles above the Pacific Ocean and its rich history of the early California film industry. When Hearst was living there with his actress lover in the 1930s, it was a gathering place for Hollywood’s elite. There’s a spectacular outdoor pool as well as a spectacular indoor pool with tiles made of real gold. Hearst owned fifty miles of the California coast. He spent $1 million a year on art and antiquities during the Depression” ~ Cheryl Bolen

“Indiana used to be a big, BIG railroad place. It’s not so much anymore, but it’s still a big railroad TRACKS place. However, many of those tracks have become walking and riding trails. One of them, the 37-mile Nickel Plate Trail, meanders through the fields about a mile and a half from my house. It’s where I walk, get out of the corners I’ve written myself into, pray, and find peace in a time when it’s hard to find. I am accompanied by squirrels, chipmunks, deer, and the occasional snake, to mention a few. While I’ve never learned to properly identify either birds or wildflowers, there are multitudes of them on the Trail to enjoy. Come and visit!” ~ Liz Flaherty

“Here in St. Augustine, in the northeast part of Florida, we have something called Nights of Lights. The entire historical downtown area is lit up with lights everywhere. Visit the Plaza de la Constitucion and see the gazebo and Christmas tree and all the trees covered in lights. Or walk down quaint St. George Street where the buildings are pulled right from the past. Visit the little shops and restaurants and sit outside watching boats cruise on the Matanzas River. Many of them are covered in lights as well. The beauty will definitely get you in the mood for Christmas!” ~ Kari Lemor

“My favorite vacation spot is Las Vegas. From the gambling (within reason) to the shows, to the glitz and glamor ... it's more fun than should be legal! My last trip netted a comped stay at the Wynn Casino with their amazing topiary AND a chance to see Elton John in concert!” ~ Nancy Fraser

“One of the places I love best is the American Saddlebred barn, Premier Stables, where I take riding lessons. I love the smell of cedar shavings and horses. I enjoy riding lessons and the feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment. And at the end of the lesson, I love handing out peppermint treats.” ~ Jan Scarbrough

“Butchart Gardens’ sunken garden, built on the site of an old limestone quarry, is one of the most photographed gardens in the world, hosting one million visitors annually. Even then, I can always find a quiet corner to hide away, whether it’s a pond-side gazebo in the Japanese Garden, or a secret bench behind a bower of roses. “Sometimes parts of the family home are open for tours, set with original furnishings and photos. Fireworks and concerts in the summer, or a romance lover’s winter wonderland with the 12 days of Christmas creatively displayed on fifty-five acres, these gardens are always a crowd pleaser.” ~ Kathleen Lawless

Photo Credit, Carole Thornton 

“Snow swirls hypnotically across the windshield as we pick our way through Crawford Notch in northern New Hampshire. One more turn and we’ll see her. Stark white and magnificent, topped with a shiny red roof. Distinct against the bluish grey of the tallest mountain in the northeast. Our home away from home for a long winter’s weekend—the glorious Omni Mount Washington Hotel!

“This marvel of modern ingenuity for its time (construction completed in 1902) was built by Joseph Stickney, a gilded-age industrialist who made a fortune in coal and railroads. He spared no expense. Today the resort offers luxury accommodations, outstanding restaurants, a prohibition-era bar, colorful history, and epic mountain views. Plus, it’s haunted! That’s my kind of place!” ~ Kathryn Hills

***

Okay, it's your turn to join the conversation! Add your comments below or send via email through the "contact us” link on the bottom of the left sidebar. You can also make suggestions on what you'd like to discuss here in the future.

Thanks for joining us! Wishing EVERYONE a happy, healthy, wonderful holiday season and New Year!

~ The Romance Gems ~