TRAVEL AWAITS: How to do a Literary Tour of New England

The full article was published by Travel Awaits on Jan. 15, 2020.

We camped at the Gateway to Cape Cod RV Campground south of Boston, Massachusetts for three weeks one summer. We used it as a base to see the origins of the American Revolution along Boston’s Freedom Trail and Concord, Massachusetts, 40 minutes from Boston, where the first skirmishes happened. This last visit rounded out our view of American history and showed us the other revolution — the literary kind.  

Author's Ridge in Concord, Massachusetts

First Stop: Concord, Massachusetts

My husband's friend who had invited us took us to The Authors Ridge at Concord’s Sleepy Hollow Cemetery where five great American authors rest in peace:  essayist and philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882, The American Scholar, Nature),  philosopher and naturalist Henry David Thoreau (1817-1863, Walden, Civil Disobedience), Romantic novelist Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864, The Scarlet Letter, House of the Seven Gables), educator Amos Bronson Alcott (1799-1888), and his daughter Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888, Little Women).

Old Manse in Concord, Massachusetts

He also took us to see The Old Manse, home of the Emerson family where the four often met. It became the center of their Transcendentalist Movement and they became known as the Concord Quartet who fanned the ideals of individual liberty and equality. They influenced the abolitionist sentiment in the North, inspiring the Civil War. The visit helped me decide to turn my then little journal into the blog that I now publicly share.

Second Stop: Salem, Massachusetts

in front of Hawthorne's House of Seven Gables

We also went to Salem, Massachusetts, 40 minutes from Boston, the site of the infamous 1692 witch trials to see the Witch Museum, the Witch House (a trial judge’s house), and the Trial Memorial. And we visited Nathaniel Hawthorne’s birthplace relocated to a spot near the only living colonial home in North America, the House of the Seven Gables, the inspiration for Hawthorne’s classic novel of the same name. 

Third Stop: Cambridge, Massachusetts

The Longfellow House in Cambridge, Massachusetts

Just 20 minutes west of Boston is Cambridge, Massachusetts, where Harvard, established in 1636, is located. The poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) whose poem Paul Revere’s Ride memorialized what sparked the revolution, served as a professor there. When he retired into full-time writing, he bought and lived in the house George Washington used as his HQ during the start of the American Revolution. The Longfellow House is now a National Historic Site.

Twain House & Stowe Center in Hartford, Connecticut 

Fourth Stop: Hartford, Connecticut

We also made a day trip to Hartford, Connecticut, two and a half hours away.  The famous author Mark Twain (1835-1910, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn)  made it his home. It's where he wrote many of his masterpieces but also where, unfortunately, he lost much of his wealth disappear due to poor investments.

The amazing thing is that the Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811-1896) Center also stands there right beside the Mark Twain House on the same small block! They are a generation apart but she helped lay the groundwork for the Civil War with Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Both authors provided scathing looks at entrenched racist attitudes.

Fifth Stop: Derry, New Hampshire

Frost Farm in Derby, New Hampshire

After our stay in Massachusetts, we brought our RV north to Chichester, New Hampshire for some RV repair. We discovered that the home of Robert Frost (1874-1963), called the Frost Farm, is in Derry, New Hampshire, just 40 minutes south. He did not quite make it as a farmer, however, so he relocated to Great Britain until the breakout of WWI. Upon his return, he bought Frost Place, in Franconia, up in the beautiful White Mountains.

In these two homes, he wrote most of his poetry, including the following most famous lines in “Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening.” They vividly express how my husband and I feel when, even if we still have to travel great distances, we pause because we suddenly find unrivaled beauty.

The woods are lovely, dark, and deep, 

But I have promises to keep, 

And miles to go before I sleep, 

And miles to go before I sleep. 

Walden Pond

Many more authors call the area home — Emily Dickinson, Herman Melville, and even Stephen King, to name a few. Book lovers will love this kind of tour. But it would have been better had we done it during fall when the region blazes in bright autumn colors. Even so, this convinced me to focus on writing as the main preoccupation of my retirement. And I have published two books since!

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Amazing RV Camping Hacks to Give You an Unforgettable Camping Experience

This week, I go back to lessons we learned in RV cruising (which we did for eight years, five of them full-time)! This post was written for my blog by Outdoorsy.com. 

"If you are also an RV owner, you know that space in your RV and movement of items when you are traveling are two big problems. Whether you are parking somewhere for an extended stay or hitting the road for multiple destinations, you want ideas to make it a trip to remember. These 5 hacks will blow your mind when it comes to saving your sanity so that you can spend your time enjoying your favorite camping experience.   
     

In the Bathroom

Use a closet organizer or mesh shoe holder to hold your bath products or wet towels. Either option will maximize the amount of space you have in the bathroom. You can also use suction cup holders in the shower for your shampoos, soaps, and conditioners. This makes them easy to access and keeps them from falling when you’re are driving. While the mesh shoe holder will hold more items, the closet organizer will keep them securely in place. Both have little drying time, as well. Choose the option that will work best for your family’s needs.

In the Refrigerator

This hack is one of my favorites when tent camping and works just as well when camping in an RV. Crack all your eggs, ahead of your trip, into a wide mouth water bottle. You can add measured lines on the outside to know how many eggs you are cooking with each use. This will help to minimize the amount of space you use in your fridge, keep your eggs from cracking in transport and make just the right amount of eggs for each meal with a quick pour. 

In the Pantry

Canned foods take up a lot of space. One hack that you can use to minimize the amount of shelf space your canned goods take up is to use a magazine holder for storing your cans. A magazine holder can keep over a half dozen cans in the same amount of space that just a few would take standing up. The holder will also keep the cans from falling over when you are driving and keep them organized.

In the Cabinets

Unless you want to use all plastic cups and paper plates, you will need a way to keep your glasses from clanking together and breaking when you are driving. One good bump and you could have an entire set of wine glasses shatter. By using a can koozie on each glass, it will cushion them from cracking and breaking making them easy to store safely. While glass is not the best space saver, a glass of wine just tastes better than drinking it out of a plastic cup.

All Over the RV

Anywhere you have extra space, placing a rack or organizer can help you to maximize space. Don’t get caught up on the name of the device. Just because an item is called a desk organizer, does not mean it can only be used on a desk. The same goes for bathroom carriers and shoe organizers. Hang an organizer on the inside of cabinet doors, use suction cups to put them on your windows, and attach a shoe organizer along any blank space (like around a bed frame) to utilize every inch of your RV. The amount of storage space you gain will be mind-blowing and will help to ensure you have everything you need on your road trip.

Whether you are taking a short RV road trip or if you plan on cruising all winter, set your self up for an amazing adventure that will keep you traveling in comfort and convenience. A little advance planning following these amazing camping hacks and you will find every RV experience is more relaxing and stress-free."

See this post for more RV cruising tips. (10 Commandments of RV Cruising)

Are All-inclusive Resorts Worth Your Money? (Part 1)

We just completed the first four weeks of a thirteen-week all-inclusive stay at El Cid Resorts’ El Moro Beach Hotel. Bill has long wanted to retire in Mexico and, since I did not want to primarily for health care reasons, we have compromised on this program. I have gained x pounds even with a focused effort to stay slim by exercising daily. It is not really the pounds but it’s where they land. There is a noticeable “baby bump” that I do not like. It makes me not want to don a swimsuit in this beach paradise!

the four El Cid Resorts in Mazatlan

This is what all-inclusive means in El Cid Resorts. It means all-you-can-eat and drink at any of the following food and beverage outlets whenever we stay in any of these vicinities: four Mazatlan hotels (El Moro, La Marina, La Castilla, and La Granada), two Cancun hotels (Ventus and La Marina), La Ceiba in Cozumel, and those that will open in the new Cabo San Lucas facility. This year, we are in El Moro in Mazatlan. 

some of the restaurants in El Cid Resorts

These are all that are available for our use:

1.    9 Restaurants

La Concha-international food

El Patio-Argentinian food

La Marina-international food

El Alcazar-Italian food

Ban Horu-Japanese food

La Pergola-international food

La Cascada-Mexican food

La Alhambra-international food

La Terraza-international food

2.    5 Snack and Drink Bars

La Gruya

El Patio

La Conchinita

Snack Bars at La Marina

3.    2 Lobby Bars

El Moro

La Castilla

4.    4 Exclusive Elite Lounge, one at each hotel

some of the facilities at the El Cid Golf And Country Club

It also means free use of the facilities of the Casa Club (the Mazatlan Golf and Country Club owned by El Cid) such as the swimming pool, tennis courts, the fitness center, and sauna and steam bath. Discounts are available at the golf course and the Spa Garden. There are also huge discounts for boating and fishing at the Mazatlan Marina Yacht Club which is at the La Marina premises. El Cid also owns Pronatours and tours come at sizable discounts there, too.

the beach fronting El Moro

There is a beachfront and two pool complexes with swim-up bars and large hot tubs for resort guests to use at La Granada, La Castilla, and El Moro. In addition, there are three private pool complexes and a private beachfront for the exclusive use of Elite members like us at El Moro and La Marina. Finally, at every hotel, activities are organized targeting various interests of guests. We have taken courses in Spanish, salsa and other Latin dances, cooking, and mixing drinks, for example. There are more.

some of the activities we joined

In addition, Mazatlan is a great Mexican town to visit. With a population of 500,000, it is considered the Shrimp Capital of the World, has the longest Malecon in Mexico, and has, for an icon, the highest lighthouse in the world on a hill by the bay. There is a vibrant downtown center and many short day trips can take you to colonial villages, a few islands, and even the city of Durango up in the mountains.

It really means great vacations with abundant food, adequate facilities, and many adventures at one great location. But there are major drawbacks to this lifestyle, not the least of which are unwanted weight gain and unwarranted expense. Others may set in for those who stay too long (like us). Boredom with the food, activities, and facilities and the increased feeling of isolation even amid plenty of people (due to lack of solid social circles unless you are adept at meeting strangers) may all set in.

But these are negatives that arise only because of the way we use the benefits. If we exercise moderation and balance, then there will be fewer. of them And with better planning, there may be none. I am developing a few Best Practices for All-Inclusive Resort Stays and will post about them after the eighth week as Part 2 of this series. It is a lifestyle that deserves honing because it is the best that one can have. We are giving ourselves the chance to enjoy it before we leave his world permanently. We do believe it is worth the money and an analysis of costs will be in Part 3 after our twelfth week.

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3 European Countries, a Family Reunion, and 3 Months in Mexico Using Timeshares

Sedona Summit by Diamond Resorts

Timeshares don’t really get a positive nod from a lot of travelers. It is a major investment, there are high maintenance fees, and you are limited to their inventory and availability. But we own sixteen weeks of timeshares. Are we fools? What made us “invest heavily” in this traveling lifestyle?

First, there are four kinds of ownership:

1.    Single Property-limited to only one property

2.    Single Country-limited to all the properties of the specific timeshare in a country.

3.    Single Region-limited to all the properties of the specific timeshare in a region

4.    Global-limited to all the properties of the specific timeshare in the world

Royal Sea Cliff by Wyndham, our home resort

We own twelve weeks in El Cid Vacations Club, all-inclusive. Mexico is my husband’s favorite destination so this is #2 for us. We also own four weeks (split between Club Wyndham and Diamond Resorts International) as #4. Together with these two's respective affiliations with Interval International and RCI, respectively, theoretically we can go to any destination in the world. For example, here are four links to some of the resorts we have used using our timeshare ownerships:  1) Balkan Jewel Resort, Razlog, Bulgaria, 2) Palazzo Catalani, Soriano Nel Cimino, Italy, 3) Le Club Mougins, Mougins, France, and 4) Royal Club of Benal Beach, Malaga, Spain, 5)  Cabo Azul, San Jose del Cabo, Mexico, 6) Ventus by El Cid, Cancun, Mexico, and 7) El Cid Marina, Mazatlan, Mexico. 

We bought El Cid as a way of being able to stay in Mexico longer. You see, Bill would love to retire there. I would rather be in the US so we compromised on a primary home in Phoenix at a resort lifestyle community. Our second home can now be at any of El Cid’s seven properties in Mexico (4 in Mazatlan, 2 in Cancun and 1 Cozumel).

sunset at La Ceiba Cozumel by El /Cid

This membership came with an all-inclusive feature, a bonus for reaching platinum level (at least 12 weeks). The total cost of ownership redounds to a rate of $75 daily or $2250 monthly for the three months we are there. This includes lodging, food, beverage, and utilities. Yes, it is better than paying for twelve months of insurance, taxes, maintenance, and utilities, paying for country club memberships, cooking every meal and maintaining a bar. It may not be an asset but then again, we are no longer at the investing age. We just want to have fun and we have other properties and funds to pass on to our kids.

We stumbled upon El Cid through Wyndham which, together with Diamond, were the first ones we bought. These two assure us of four weeks of travel elsewhere from our two homes.

swim-up bar at Cabo Azul, San Jose del Cabo, by Diamond Resorts

This year, we are basically using Diamond to travel in Europe for a month, beginning Oct. 1. The first week, we will be at the Holiday Club Schloesslhof in Tirol, Austria. From there we will explore Innsbruck, about 45 minutes away and Salzburg, two hours away. On the second week, we will stay at Mondi-Holiday Hotel Oberstaufen in Oberstaufen, Germany. Munich, Zurich, and Lichtenstein are each only two hours away. It is a great base. On the third week, we chose Royal Regency in Vincennes, France. Paris is only 25 minutes away, Versailles, 50 minutes, and Normandy. Before Austria, we will visit friends who own B&Bs in Ljubljana and Bled, Slovenia. After Paris, we go to Brussels Belgium to complete our month.

And then when we come back, after three weeks of rest, we are joining my daughters and grandchildren in our annual family reunion of thirteen in Palm Springs using our Club Wyndham points. After another three weeks of rest, we fly to Mazatlan, using our El Cid points, catch their New Year’s Eve Party and enjoy an all-inclusive vacation until March 31.

Ventus infinity pool and hot tub at Riviera Maya by El Cid

The Wyndham and Diamond ownerships are more expensive. They are not a 20-year lease like El Cid is, but a perpetual ownership which we can pass on to our children and our children’s children even when have passed on. But there are intangibles that timeshare ownerships give the weary traveler. The resorts always have kitchens so we usually prepare our own breakfasts and most dinners and have lunch out every day we are touring to taste local food. Also, they are resorts which have amenities from the basics like fitness centers, pools, and hot tubs to those with golf courses, tennis courts, beachfront, chapels, restaurants, etc.

That is the value we are getting from our timeshare ownerships these next six months. And then the cycle repeats for 2019-20. We are comfortable with these arrangements. 
They are the most convenient ways to have vacations since we are now cruising past 70. 

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10 MYSTICAL PLACES IN THE US FOR SPIRITUAL ENERGY RENEWAL

Airport Mesa Overlook

map of 4 Vortex sites in Sedona

In Sedona, I attended a lecture entitled “Scientific Vortex Information.” The speaker was author Peter Sanders Jr., an MIT Honors graduate in Brain Science. After, I wanted to find out where in the US are the mystical places he talked about. The following is is a list of ten. The first four are right in Sedona, the second three we have been to are elsewhere, and the final three I have now added to our bucket list:

1. Cathedral Rock
2. Bell Rock
3. Airport Mesa
4. Boynton Canyon
5. Mt. Denali
6. Serpent Effigy Mound
7. Mt. Shasta
8. Lady's End Labyrinth
9. Ringing Rocks State Park
10. Mt. Kilauea

Mt. Denali

He defines a vortex as an area of high concentration of energy that can enhance prayer, meditation, and creative thinking. Both Sanders, who has lived in Sedona for 35 years, and Bob, our Pink Jeepney Tour guide, say that the area's spiritual heritage goes back thousands of years. It is believed that the Sinaguas, who lived around Sedona circa 500-1400 CE (as evidenced by the ruins that circle the city), regularly traveled to the red rocks for their rituals. In the 1960's, word spread around the US about this mystical place and Sedona has since become a major destination.

The word vortex comes from fluid dynamics. It’s a region in which the flow revolves around an axis like in stirred fluids, smoke rings, winds surrounding a tornado or dust devil, and whirlpools in the wake of a boat. Sanders classifies mystical vortices as either Upflow or Inflow, matching the topography and color of a place to the types of prayer or meditation one can seek from it.

Serpent Mound

Sedona's Cathedral Rock, Bell Rock, and Airport Mesa (headline photo) are mountains and mesas that give Upflows because they soar high. One is supposed to get a feeling of reaching up beyond the physical. Boynton Canyon, on the other hand, like canyons or valleys, are for Inflows. One is supposed to go inward to find healing from within. Furthermore, colors like red or energy, yellow for happiness, and orange, a combination of both, can increase oxygen supply to the brain to produce an invigorating effect. Sanders says Sedona, rich with red rocks, be they mountains or canyons, is blessed with eight mystical places, with the four as the most well-known.

Mt. Shasta

There are three we have previously visited although we didn't know they were considered mystical places at the time. Mt. Denali is the highest peak in North America and is believed to be the home of many spirits by Native Americans. Serpent Mound in Ohio is the largest known serpent effigy in the continent, symbolic of the large serpent with supernatural powers in Native American folklore.  In northern California, spectacular Mt. Shasta stands as the home of the Great Spirit for all Native Americans. When we visited these three places, we experienced highs but we attributed them to the usual feeling people get when they see majestic sites.

Lady's End Labyrinth

Ringing Rocks

To complete my list of ten mystical places, I have chosen the following and put them on our bucket list. Lady’s End Labyrinth is on a rocky mountainside, a few minutes from San Francisco, in a public park sitting right above the crashing waves of the mighty Pacific Ocean. We will try to go to this site in the first week of September when we are in the area.  Ringing Rocks State Park in Pennsylvania is a park filled with rocks, a third of which vibrate and ring when struck by an object. Last but not the least, Mt. Kilauea in Hawaii is a sacred place because it is home to Pele, the volcano goddess. We were supposed to see it this December but we canceled our trip due to the recent eruption and lava flows.

Mt. Kilauea

Sanders' first book bears the same title as his lecture which is held every Monday at Los Abrigados Resort & Spa. The public is charged $15 but it is free for Diamond Resort timeshare owners like us. He has written two others where he describes his free soul method to meditation. I bought one of them, Access Your Brain’s Joy Center, because I felt good when he showed us how we can free our limbic brains from worries and panics (which is totally me). Besides, Sedona is so near to where we live, just two hours away, that, if it is true, I can make frequent trips to her mystical places. Maybe I can even buy his other book, You Are Psychic. But, no, I don’t want to be that spiritually enlightened. I just want to travel to mystical places to get highs, maybe even renewing my spiritual energy.