First they were at the beach, now they’re at the pool. I got another update of what I’m missing. This time, they are in the desert, Palm Springs to be exact. They went hiking in the Jacinto mountains yesterday although I doubt that they lasted very long, hiking in the desert.

They went to the desert with the old folks, grandma, grandpa and even lola (great-grandma). Of course, their Auntie Sherry is there too, but I’m sure she wouldn’t want to be lumped in with the old folks. haha! I sure miss all of them!
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I know I have mentioned before how I love to travel. And you’re probably tired of hearing it since I’m always too broke to go anywhere, ergo I don’t ever talk about my travels. *sigh* yeah, you can feel sorry for me now.

Anyway, I’m not really here to whine. I still say I love to travel, and I don’t have to get on a plane to do it. I travel all the time! Right here, where I live. I travel to places within walking distance, within driving distance, whatever. If it gets me and the girls our of the house, we travel.

I received these travel tips via email and I though I should share them with you. Whether you travel near or far, these are a few things we should always keep in the back of our minds.

What can you do? Travel responsibly and tell others to do the same.

Leave No Trace: One of the major daily challenges to any destination site is garbage and cigarette butts in particular left behind by visitors. By properly disposing of your trash, you will help the park save resources and ensure that the site’s remarkable vistas are uncluttered for others.

Think of the Big Picture: While it is important to support the local economy, certain tourist activities and souvenirs can damage a fragile World Heritage site. If a popular tourist activity seems to affect a site’s longevity, or if a souvenir is a piece of the site itself, it is best to avoid participating and encouraging detrimental behavior.

Enjoy the View from Ground Level: It has not yet been determined what effects helicopters vibrations are having on [various monuments and architectural sites]. But common sense tells us that helicopters generate noise pollution and leave behind an environmental footprint due to carbon emissions.

Keep your Feet Firmly on the Ground: Although it might be tempting to get up close and personal with the structures, climbing on the walls and/or in the tombs can cause severe erosion.

What can be done by the concerned global community when the biggest threat to tourist treasures is tourism itself? The key is to encourage others to “treat any place you visit like it is your own home. Don’t drop litter, don’t climb on the monuments, and please don’t graffiti.”

Pledge to travel responsibly here.

One of the best finds from our Las Vegas Vacation.

Getting lost is an adventure and like I said in my previous post, I try to get lost every opportunity I get. During our trip to Wilmington last Memorial Day weekend was no different. It was actually a perfect time to get lost since we had an early start and we could take our time driving back. Rather than taking the quickest route back, meaning the interstate highway, we decided to take smaller highways that went through several small towns instead.

Driving through roads like this clears my mind…